Rosalie Sierra Winchester
by DannieLawman1995
Summary: Rosalie Winchester is a warrior. With Dean's resurrection comes a war with Angels and Demons. If the weird blue-eyed Angel desperately wanting to claim her as his own, the Apocalypse around the corner and Angels trying to use them as tools wasn't bad enough, there's also something about Rosalie baring Lucifer's child. What's a girl gotta do to get some peace around here!
1. Return of the Living dead

**Hi, okay, if you're the same as me and you like Supernatural (especially in fanfiction) then your in for a treat. This starts at the beginning of Season 4 when Cas and the Angels show up (because I'm lazy and I cba to go back further than that.) Rosalie is the youngest Winchester sibling with her own issues, desires, wants and needs and while she is the main character followed by Cas, the others will obviously be in it too. Yes, this has romance in it, but it also has angst and drama added to the mix too and hopefully, it will be as realistic as possible. You can expect a lot to happen, so, shut up, sit down and enjoy the bumpy ride that is Casalie - Castiel/Rosalie. A few things in this will obviously divert from the show just by her mere presence but don't worry; it just means you get something new and exciting.**

* * *

 _ **September 17th, 2008 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota**_

When Dean Winchester died, they broke. The lack of screams or movement coming from the oldest Winchester after being torn apart by Lilith's Hellhounds and seeing his bloody body was a finality for Rosalie and Sam. Just seeing their oldest brother dead and bloody; just knowing he was now suffering somewhere in Hell for them was enough to tear them to pieces. Thousands of tears were shed that day as well as the days following after, arguments were drafted in the group - with Sam wanting to keep Dean's body so he could use it when he returned but Bobby and Rosalie both wanting to salt and burn it like usual. The arguments only lasted so long though, mainly ending with them shouting at each other then walking off to isolate themselves. Rosalie remembered those dark times quite clearly in her mind. Sam would go off to a bar or wherever it was he went off too while she stayed behind at the house with Bobby. She was grateful for having someone there at the hardest point in her life even if he wasn't a blood relative. She'd known Bobby for most of her life and thank god for that, because she wouldn't know where she'd be if it weren't for him. He was the one who comforted her whenever he caught her crying, he was the one who let her stay - even giving her a room of her own in his house. Without Bobby Singer, she'd more than likely be either dead or dying.

But even with Bobby to help her through her grief, it still wasn't quite enough. One of her siblings was dead and the other was currently missing, having vanished not too long after Dean's funeral. The family was scattered and gone and in the silver-white blonde's mind, there was no hope of stitching themselves back together. A lot of the time in between taking Dean's body back to Bobby's and now were a blur. All were shattered and in mourning their loss and struggling to come to terms with everything. Only distantly did Rosalie hear the two talking about what to do next, but made no heed to join the conversation. None of it processed through her mind. Denial was still there on the surface which meant nothing processed.

 _Dean was dead._

Their beloved oldest brother was gone, never to return again.

Rosalie couldn't remember the moment she finally broke down, collapsing on her knees and crying on the cold kitchen floor. In an instant, Bobby was there, being dragged down with her. He held her throughout the night, her head buried in his chest, harsh sobs filling the room and wracking her body until there was nothing left within her but an empty, dull ache in her chest. She did remember him being silent and motionless the whole time, tears pooling down his own face. The only thoughts running through her mind were about Dean. _It wasn't happening, he couldn't be dead. He was her protector, the oldest and the strongest of the all, how could he be dead? Why was this happening? Why hadn't they been able to save him?_

After Sam's disappearance, Bobby insisted she stay with him. His excuse being it wasn't safe for her alone out there and with the way she was, she was likely to get herself killed. Secretly, she thought it was really because one was dead and the other fled like a coward leaving the last remaining sibling in his hands. And like an Octopus, the man latched onto her, keeping the only thing he had left close to him. It honestly wouldn't surprise the young woman if she found herself in bubble wrap one morning curtsy of a paranoid, grieving man.

She hoped not.

The house was dark as she creeped down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was a small table and chair near the counter to which she slumped into. She was tired. So, so tired and weary. Hollow wasn't the right word she'd use to describe her if anyone asked but it was close enough. Yes, her family was unconventional. Yes, they had a million-and-one issues starting with co-dependency but this was her family. Family was supposed to stick together in the harshest of times. Rosalie snorted bitterly. What was she thinking? Dad was never there, Mom was dead and had been since she was an infant, now Dean was gone and Sam had practically bailed on her. She had no one. Despite both Sam and Dad coming and going, Dean was the only one that was always there. Always. It tore her apart from the inside to know if Bobby hadn't been there for her, she'd be drowning in her grief alone. God knows her brother sure as hell didn't care about her. In the time he'd been gone, he hadn't once called or texted or got in touch in any way whatsoever. He was either dead or just plain ignoring them and she honestly had no clue which was worse. Both she and Bobby tried calling him after agreeing to put aside their pride, but his number was disconnected or something. Tracking him down failed too - you can't find someone who doesn't want to be found after all.

Any attempt to reconnect just wasn't going to happen. So now, four months on, it was just the two of them together against the world. The relationships they had with each other were a mess and she dreaded to think what Dean would do if he were there to witness it all. She knew he'd be pissed at least. She figured he'd also be the one to find Sam, drag him back (possibly kicking and screaming) and forced them to make up. Did she want to make up wit Sam though? Yes and no. The answer required a _lot_ of thought. The words exchanged during those days weren't exactly pretty or nice. It also didn't help when the only things that came to mind when she even thought of Sam were: _you abandoned us...you abandoned me...you never wanted this life...did you ever want to be a part of this family at all?_ Probably not. This wasn't the first time Sam walked out on his family. He walked out when he left for College, which was fair enough in her opinion, but not staying in contact with them because of his stupid pride and a messed up conversation with their Dad was not okay. Not by a long shot. Him basically doing the same thing now was just a confirmation to her. He never wanted to be a part of the family. The sad thing was, Dean was the one who'd brought Sam back into their world, and yeah, he'd stayed up until Dean's death but all that showed her was that he'd only stuck around for Dean.

Once Dean was gone, so was he. Apparently, he forgot he had another sibling. _What a bastard!_ She leaned forward in her chair and lowered her face into her hands, her shoulders tense as she rubbed her face. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to alleviate the headache forming and got up. She opened one of the cupboards and rummaged through until she found some Paracetamol. She opened another cupboard and pulled out a cup. Filling the cup over half-way, she too one of the capsules out and pushed it to the back of her throat then took a big gulp of cold water to wash the tablet down with. She did the same with the other one then left the cup in the sink.

For the past four months, she and Bobby threw themselves into trying to find ways to find and kill Lilith without anyone else dying but so far nothing. They couldn't even find the bitch since she'd fled that day and hid like a coward after Dean's death. Rosalie snorted bitterly. _Probably cos she knew she pissed off two hunters by killing one of their own and there was no way she was gonna get out alive._ It was the only reason she could think of for why Lilith would suddenly up and vanish without so much of a trace. For a supposedly powerful Demon, she hadn't so much as bothered with her, Sam or Bobby since.

She remembered the moment the blonde tried to kill Sam with the little light show thingy she put on but as soon as she realized it didn't work (for whatever reason), she panicked, smoked out of her vessel and fled out the window. And that was the last they'd seen of her. Rosalie remembered being beyond terrified she was about to lose another brother to this bitch but thankfully it hadn't worked. Those feelings quickly manifested to hate and rage and she watched eagerly as Sam stooped down to pick up the Demon Blade, his feelings mirroring hers. He held it up and was about to lunge at Lilith when she fled, leaving the two remaining siblings behind to grieve.

It was raining heavily outside and she leaned up against the counter to peer out of the window. The rain reflected her mood; a tearful storm that dampened the soul of anyone, leaving nothing but cold, tears and sadness which is exactly what she was feeling right now. Rain for Rosalie usually meant a release of inner tension or sadness, the possibility of a rainbow forming in the sky afterwards, something that she felt cleansed her when she stood outside or the sweet refreshing smell of nature after the rain had stopped. She also loved the pitter-patter sound the raindrops made when they fell. Rainbows for the silver-white blonde represented colour and hope. Hope that something beautiful could exist in the world, even after the disappointment and hurt - something that she could smile at just because she could. A storm represented violence; an anger that just couldn't be contained anymore. It was the kind of violence that lashed out at anyone and was at times as destructive as a hurricane.

Unfortunately, Rosalie wasn't able to see a white light at the end of the tunnel and that was simply because her family was scattered and broken. There was no silver lining. Rubbing her hands on her thighs, she sighed, tiredness finally getting to her. Tomorrow was another day. As she headed off to bed, she hoped things would slowly change, not realizing that hope would soon come true in the best and worst way imaginable...

* * *

 _ **September 18th, 2008**_

The next day was better. Not just because it was a hot day but because it was one of those better days. It seemed Bobby also agreed on that one because for once, he wasn't stuck in the house doing whatever it was he usually did when he was cooped up inside. Rosalie spent half of the morning getting dressed. Her chosen outfit of the day was a short white skirt with a small white crop top. Her ankle length white hair was twisted into two sections then put up in tight buns on either side of her head. Her side parting was pinned back by a pretty little bow clip to finish it off. To complete the outfit, she wore a pair of nice flats. She didn't bother with makeup but made sure to cleanse her face after she'd brushed her with the way she looked, she grabbed her smaller jacket and ran down the stairs two at a time. She was out the door faster than you can blink but stopped to lock the door behind her. The weather might be hot now, but it could be fickle and change at any time, hence the reason she always took her coat with her.

She was half-way down the street when she realized with a harsh jolt that she'd forgotten her mobile on her desk and cursed herself under her breath. She was torn between going back for it or leaving it behind for a while. She ultimately decided to leave it. After the past few months, it was time to let go of the pain and stress and let go and have some fun. Even if it was only for one day.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Bobby returned home to find the house empty. He shrugged and concluded Rosalie must've gone out when she didn't answer him and headed to the kitchen to put away the groceries. He was honestly becoming concerned about her mental state of mind. With all her focus on finding and killing Lilith for what she'd done to Dean, losing both of her brothers in such a short time and being stuck to basically grieve without her family - was it any wonder she was messed up? To see her not in the house for once made him happy. Maybe now she could begin to move on with her life and let go of the guilt he knew was there.

As much as he loved that Sam like his own, he was also pissed. He couldn't seem to look past his own grief and see he still had family that was also grieving. He wasn't the only one who lost Dean but he sure as hell was acting like it. Bobby had a good mind to smack him upside the head and give him a piece of his mind, but unfortunately he couldn't find him. How Sam just ran out on his sister like that and leave her all alone, was impossible to understand. Granted, she wasn't exactly alone, but that wasn't the point. Sam was older than her; it was _his_ job now to protect her, especially with Dean being gone, but he hadn't stepped up to the role. He just hoped the damn boy wasn't stupid enough to try and make a deal to get Dean back.

That's what got them into this mess in the first place after all.

He huffed angrily and shoved Sam to the back of his mind. His main priority now besides finding Lilith, was Rosalie and making sure she remained healthy and breathing. That was _his_ job now since her poor excuse of a brother wasn't going to do it and Bobby would be damned if he walked out and abandoned her like her Sam had. She didn't deserve that. A ringing from the phone practically had him jumping out of his skin. His face reddened slightly in embarrassment at having been caught off guard so easily and he mentally cursed himself for not being more alert. He reached out and answered it. "Hello?"

 _"Bobby?"_

Bobby frowned at the familiar voice. "Yeah?"

 _"It's me."_

Bobby blinked uneasily. "Who's 'me'?"

 _"It's me, Bobby. It's Dean."_

The second the voice claimed he was Dean, Bobby hung up. Rage hit him like a ton of bricks, his eyes darkening with fury. He thought the voice sounded familiar and now he knew why: because it was Dean's voice. But Dean was in Hell and he wasn't coming back, so whatever this was, it was using Dean's voice - and more than likely his body too. It's not Dean...it's not Dean...it's not Dean. He took deep breaths to calm himself down and forced himself to stay where he was rather than go out and kill the son-of-a-bitch. The phone rang again, but this time he was prepared, his voice cold as ice, "Who is this?!"

 _"Bobby, listen to me-"_ the voice on the other end pleaded desperately, but Bobby cut him off harshly before he could finish his sentence.

"This isn't funny. Call again and I swear to God, I'll kill ya!" He hung up the phone before whoever it was could get another word in. His mind immediately turned to Rosalie. Should he tell her about the call or should he keep it to himself? The call could undo all of the progress she was making and do a lot of damage in the process - damage he didn't want. Keeping it a secret might be for the best; she didn't need to know about it. He tried to forget about the call, forget about how good hearing Dean's voice again was regardless of who was using it and return to researching lore. He was about halfway through the book when he was rudely interrupted by a heavy pounding on the front door.

To say Bobby got the shock of his life when he answered the door was a _massive_ understatement. He cursed himself for his inability to even form a sentence, but in his defence, Dean was the last person he expected to see at his door. Dean, meanwhile, stood watching him. He hesitantly took a step closer but stopped as a thought occurred to him.

 _"Dean?"_

The green-eyed Winchester smiled apprehensively at Bobby and held out his arms cautiously. It didn't take a genius to notice the man was suspicious of him. "Surprise?"

"What? I-I don't..."

"Me neither," Dean said as he entered the house. "But here I am."

Did this thing honestly think Bobby was born yesterday? He knew damn well this was not Dean and right now he despised whatever it was that strode into his home like he belonged there. He was ready and he was going to kill this thing before Rosalie got back. She was pretty much a daughter to him and whatever this thing was it wasn't Dean. By using Dean's body, though, it had cemented its own death because now Bobby wasn't going to let it walk out of the house alive. And he had to do it before she got back. That poor girl had already been through enough and he refused to allow her to suffer anymore. While the thing was distracted, he hid his arm behind his back and quietly picked up the silver knife on his desk. He waited until it approached before lunging forward, swinging the knife and missing him only by a few inches.

 _Damn._

When it reached for his arm, he brought the knife around again. Unfortunately, the element of surprise was gone. It grabbed him, twisting so he couldn't move, but Bobby wasn't a damn good hunter for nothing and he broke the grip, turning and backhanding the thing hard. It stumbled back (he wasn't going to call it Dean no matter what) and threw out a hand.

"Bobby, it's me!"

"My ass!" Bobby snapped murderously, reaching out to shove the chair it put in front of it as a weak form of protection.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and, um...you're about the closest thing I have to a father." Bobby stopped for a second and lowered the knife and moved forward to reach out as if to touch him. "Bobby, It's _me_." It didn't last long because soon enough, Bobby moved to stab him in the chest. The thing was faster though, and disarmed him. "I'm not a Shapeshifter!"

"Then you're a Revenant!"

He shoved Bobby away from him and held the knife he'd stolen in front of him and said quickly, "If I were either, could I do this?" He drew the knife across his arm, grimacing slightly as blood poured from the wound.

Now Bobby was starting to believe it a little. For the first time in months, hope began to rise within him. He hesitated, eyes wide and hopeful as he stared at him. Could it be...?

"Dean?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," he huffed. He grunted when the old man pulled him in for a tight hug but returned it with enthusiasm. Now that Bobby wasn't trying to kill him, he relaxed and breathed in the familiar smell of books and alcohol. Home. He was home and he wasn't going anywhere ever again. Oh, how he missed his family. Speaking of family...he pulled away and peered around the corner. Where were Rosalie and Sam? Convincing them, he was who he said he was, was going to be hard - much harder than Bobby but seeing them again was worth the effort. His face fell when he saw they were nowhere in sight.

"It's good to see you, boy."

"Yeah, you too," he replied absently, stepping into the study.

"But how did you get out?"

"I don't know. I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box..." he was cut off by a large splash of what he guessed was holy water being thrown at his face. He paused and spat it out and rubbing his face with his jacket sleeve. "I'm not a Demon either, you know."

Bobby shrugged his shoulders unapologetic. "Can't be too careful." Dean nodded in acceptance, grabbing a towel from one of the draws. "But...that don't make a lick of sense." He stared at Dean in a daze, unable to believe he was there. It was so surreal.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir."

"Dean. Your chest was _ribbons_ , your insides were slop and you've been buried four months. Even _if_ you could slip out of Hell and back into your meat suit-"

"I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject."

"Well, that's puttin it lightly," Bobby muttered. "What do you remember?"

"Not much." He lied. "Remember being a Hellhound's chew toy and then...lights out. I came to six feet under and that was it." He quickly changed the subject, not wanting to talk about Hell anymore. Thankfully, Bobby got the message. "Hey, Sam's number ain't working. Where is he? And where's Rosie?"

Bobby took pity on him, sensing his reluctance. "Rosalie's out. And Sam's alive...as far as I'm aware anyway."

Dean sighed with relief. "Good. Wait, what do you mean 'as far as you're aware?"

Bobby sighed and cast his gaze to the floor. "We haven't spoken to him for months."

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?!" Dean was incredulous at Bobby's admittance. How could he just let Sam go off on his own like that? Didn't he know how dangerous it was to do that?! Sam could be anywhere right now doing anything and he wouldn't know. Suddenly, his blood turned to ice; was Sam the reason he was out of Hell? If so, what did that mean for him? Oh, God, the thought of Sam making a deal for him and going to Hell was more than enough to make him want to throw up.

Bobby's jaw clenched. His patience on the topic was wearing thin. While he understood where Dean was coming from, did he honestly forget he had another sibling? It certainly seemed that way and it was starting to piss him off. He had things to do, responsibilities to take care of (the main one being to take care of the only Winchester he could) among other things. He couldn't just drop everything to hunt for Sam when he obviously didn't want to be found. It wasn't fair on him and it wasn't fair on Rosalie. She didn't deserve to be ignored and neglected.

"What can I say? He was dead set on it. Left out of the blue with no note, no nothing." He shrugged, his tone sharper than intended.

"Bobby, you should have been looking for him!"

And with that sentence, Bobby's patience finally snapped. He got to his feet, his expression angry and intense as he stared Dean down. "I had more important things to do; like taking care of your _sister_. Or did you forget she existed? I had things to do, responsibilities to take care of. I didn't have time to go running around after a hunter that don't wanna be found. Your brother left us _willingly_ , he abandoned the only family left when he left her behind. I think that was more important, don't you?"

Dean looked away, guilt threatening to overwhelm him. He hadn't meant it like that; he was just worried about the things his brother was up to. He didn't mean to imply his brother was more important than his sister because it wasn't true. That wasn't how he felt at all. He loved both his siblings the same amount. He just didn't expect to find his family scattered around like this. It was wrong.

"Yeah, I get it. Sorry, Bobby. Where is she anyway? I tried calling her after Sam, but I got no answer."

Bobby seemed to calm down a little at the genuine remorse on Dean's face and sat down. "She's out. Must've left her phone or something," he answered gruffly.

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

He shook his head 'no'. "I tried, okay? These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For any of us. We had to bury you."

"Why'd you bury me? What happened to salt and burning?"

"Well, I wanted you salt and burned, ya know, the drill? But Sam wouldn't have it."

Dean turned to look out of the window, his arms crossed against his chest. "Boy, am I glad he won that one."

"He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said."

Dean stiffened, turning to glare at Bobby suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return my calls. As I said, I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found,"

"Oh, dammit, Sammy," Dean murmured, mostly to himself, but Bobby heard it all the same.

"What?"

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo," he stated darkly. Bobby instantly became alert and on guard. If Dean was right and Sam had made a deal then things were about to get ugly. "We need to find him. _Now."_

"We should wait until Rose gets back."

Dean nodded in agreement then went on to inform Bobby of what happened after he woke up from his grave while he waited for his sister to get back...

* * *

 _ **45 minutes later**_

Rosalie threw back her head and laughed at her two friends. Jo Harvelle, a slightly younger woman than her with back length blonde hair, smirked at her own joke. Brielle Locke, a woman with dark, curly hair shook her head in amusement. Both women were hunters and good friends of hers. It was their idea to meet up and Rosalie was grateful for their thoughtfulness. Even at your saddest moment, those two really knew how to turn it around. The three of them sat cosily in a cafe in Town. Jo had brought a coffee, Brielle had a hot chocolate and she had a chocolate frappe. The Frappe was already half gone when she asked Jo for the time. The younger blonde glanced down at her watch and answered, "it's half three."

Rosalie ran a hand through her fringe and tapped her fingers on the table. "I've gotta go back soon. Left my mobile at home, Bobby's gonna start getting worried."

"Finish that drink first. I'm gonna get you another one before you leave," Brielle said, getting up.

"You don't have to."

Brielle shook her head almost sadly. "Nah, after everything that's happened, I think you deserve this."

Rosalie couldn't really argue with that, so she didn't. While Brielle was waiting in line, Jo took this opportunity to talk to her. "So, how's Sam?"

Rosalie folded her hands in her lap and stared distantly out the window. "No idea. He still hasn't bothered to get in touch."

Jo crossed her arms against her chest and glared at nothing in particular. She knew all about Sam abandoning Rosalie and Bobby after Dean died but she thought he'd at least have the decency to get in touch by now. Clearly she was wrong. Jo hated being wrong. "He's an asshole, I swear," she hissed.

"I know," she murmured, crossing her legs on the chair. For as long as she remembered, she could never sit with her legs straight. She had to sit cross-legged. "Still, nothing I can do about it."

"Have you tried to find him?"

"We tried. Bastard doesn't wanna be found so we gave up."

Oh, that's it! When she next saw Sam Winchester he was getting a good slap around the face and a piece of her mind. Rosalie was suffering more because of him. She had a good mind to ask her Mom to-

She was startled out of her thoughts when Rosalie suddenly jumped to her feet. "Need to go to the bathroom. Be right back." Jo watched her friend until she lost sight of her completely and went back to contemplate what she should do. She rested her hand in her chin and waited for the others to return. Brielle was the first to make it back to the table with the drinks, followed by Rosalie. The girls stayed at the cafe for another thirty minutes until Rosalie finally called it quits. She hugged both women and waved as she passed the window. She thought about calling Bobby to pick her up then remembered she left her phone behind. Transportation was limited for Rosalie as she hadn't passed her drivers test. She just hadn't got around to doing it and as a result, couldn't drive and didn't have a car of her own. At the time, she hadn't cared enough to do so when both of her brothers (mostly Dean) were able to drive. She had the money to do it, what with all the jobs she did from travelling the world and her modelling job.

Her height might not be the best when it came to modelling, but that didn't matter when her looks were her best feature. The blonde was often described as stunningly beautiful with a slender frame, small breasts and very long silver-white hair. Now that Dean was gone, so was the Impala. When Sam left them, he also took the car with him - something she wasn't exactly happy with. He never bothered to ask her about it at all. Maybe driving should be her next priority. But for now, taking the bus it was. Waiting for buses was never pleasant; they always took a long time to show up and cost a ridiculous amount - even for a single ticket.

The bus pulled up near the house just over half an hour later. By then it was about 4.35pm and she was getting hungry. The door was unlocked which meant Bobby was home. She dropped her keys on the table and called out. "Bobby? You in?" But it wasn't Bobby who greeted her. She rounded the corner to the kitchen and froze at the sight waiting for her. There, standing before her was none other than _Dean_ , leaning against the counter as if he'd never left them to begin with. There was a cut on his arm - recent by the look of it - but she didn't care because he was _there_. Rosalie inhaled sharply, even as relief and joy crossed his face. The moment he made to move towards her was the moment she reacted out of pure instinct.

She took a step back and pulled out a knife she'd hidden earlier on. _What the hell was this?_ _Some sort of sick fucking joke?!_ Well, if it was, it was the last joke this thing was ever going to make. Whatever this thing was, it _wasn't_ Dean. Dean was dead and he wasn't coming back. Must be a Shifter or something. Where the hell was Bobby though and why was this thing still alive? A dark thought crossed her mind; was Bobby hurt or worse - dead? If she hadn't wanted to throw up before she certainly did now. Of course Bobby wasn't dead, the man was as tough as door nails. No stupid Shifter was going to get the drop on a hunter like Bobby, no way in Hell! Pushing it aside for the moment, she focused on the creature. It held a hand up in a placating gesture. "Rosie, it's me. It's really me."

She shook her head in shock. _"No,"_ she murmured. He stood still, watching her sadly. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping she was just hallucinating but alas, when she opened the again, he was still there. Sadness, horror and loss turned to anger and fury. How dare this thing use her brother against her?! She suddenly remembered the knife in her hand. She raised her hand in the air, extending her arm and throwing the knife. He ducked out of the way, picking it up and pointing it at her.

"Rose, it's me," he implored.

"No, it's not. That's impossible." She gritted her teeth in aggravation. She lunged at him, jumping into the air and kicking him square in the chest. She landed gracefully on her feet and immediately positioned herself in a fighting stance, fists up and ready, while he got to his feet, having recovered from her attack. She bent down to pick up the knife he dropped and flipped it into the air, catching the handle without even looking. That earned her an impressed look for him, but she ignored it. She circled him warily, even as he backed up. She swung the blade, but he jumped back and as he did so, she passed the knife swiftly to her other hand and swung again with a small cry. He dodged it and she spun around in a circle and lowered herself so she was leaning on a bent knee. Her eyes never left him and he could tell she was 100% focused on killing him. She stared him down impassively, cataloguing his every step, ready to attack at the slightest hint of movement. Dean would have grinned proudly at his baby sister if he hadn't known it would piss her off even more and probably end with him dying painfully by her hand.

He'd only seen his sister fight properly a handful of times over the past year or so - not because she couldn't fight, but because the trio had mainly been looking for ways to get him out of his deal; and before that, she was travelling the world. So watching her fight with him now made him proud of her. Most monsters tended to overlook her because of her small stature and delicate features which to them made her seem weak or fragile but he knew better. Rosalie Sierra Winchester was a warrior; a fighter and a hell of a hunter. She was a lethal weapon when primed and ready and it was always funny to see her take down the bastards that laughed at her. "Rosie, it's _me."_

Rosalie showed no emotion as she stared him down. Whatever this was did a damn good imitation of her dead brother. It looked like him, sounded like him and even acted like him. She pushed down the hope swelling within her and chose to focus on the facts and logic. She refused to cry in front of anything supernatural and locked away the despair and pain so it couldn't cloud her judgement. This thing needed to die and it needed to die _now._ She couldn't struggle with this otherwise it'd be the death of her. A pang of guilt shot through her at the hurt expression on his face. She was about to attack again when someone else entered the room. Bobby. He stopped at the sight of them but to her surprise and disbelief, he made no move to attack. _What the hell?_

Bobby softened at the sight of her - cornered, trapped and ready to attack - and reached out to her. "Easy, Rose. It's him, I'm sure of it."

For the first time, she hesitated. Could it be...? Was it possible? Her heart filled with hope and this time, she allowed it. Unshed tears filled her eyes and she looked to Bobby for the final confirmation. Her lips trembled when she got it and she wavered at the realisation that he was here again, _alive_. Her big brother was _home_. A happy cry of relief and sorrow emitted from her throat as she crashed into him, forcing him to stumble backwards. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his neck. He was here. He was alive again. _Oh God, it was him!_

"Oh, my God, it's you! It's really you!"

"It's really me," he confirmed, burying his own face in her shoulder. The smell of fruit filled his nostrils as he breathed in. They stayed like that for a good amount of time before pulling back and releasing each other.

"Bu-how the hell are you back?" Her eyes remained on him the whole time. Him being here normal and alive was almost too good to be true and if something was too good to be true then it meant something wasn't right.

He shrugged. "No idea."

"Well, what do you remember?" She asked carefully.

"As I told Bobby earlier: I don't remember much. One minute I was a chew toy then I woke up in a pine box. Tell you what though: you should have seen my grave site. Complete wreck. It was like a bomb went off or something. There was this force...a presence even, and I don't know how or why, but it was there. I felt it. It was close to me, and then there's this," he pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to show them his arm - something he hadn't even shown Bobby yet. There was a large hand-print on his arm. It was definitely fresh; the scar tissue raised and red. "It was like a Demon yanked me straight out or something."

Or something.

They stared at his shoulder in horror and shock; what the hell could do something like that? Rosalie was tempted to gently touch the scar but stopped herself at the last second. It looked painful and the last thing she wanted to do was cause him more pain.

 _"Jesus Christ._ Someone wanna tell me what the hell we're up against here?"

"No idea. I say we figure it out as we go along. In the meantime, I have another sibling to find," Dean replied grimly.

The other two watched as he set about trying to find Sam. They had a bad feeling this were going to get crazy fast and if they were right, they were going to need Sam and fast.


	2. No such things as Angels

It was ironic how easy it was to find Sam when Dean was around. Where Bobby failed, Dean had succeeded. What was disturbing though, was that Sam was apparently staying at a Motel in Pontiac, Illinois - near where Dean was buried. Coincidence? Unlikely. A quick glance at Dean told her he thought the same. Seeing as the drive was a few hours away, they stopped to refuel the car and grab a bite to eat. It was in these small moments, she forgot her pain and loneliness. Having Dean back and being in the car with him again was the best feeling in the world. The only thing threatening that feeling was Sam. There was so many things she felt about him, so many things she wanted to do and say to him but where to start? So much was wrong with them, it felt impossible to make it right. She was also nervous about seeing him again. How would things go? Would it turn into another fight? Another argument that'll just make things worse for them? Or was she being stupid about it all and things would end up okay in the end?

Either way, she was going to find out. As soon as they were done eating, it was back on the road for them. The rest of the trip was spent having small talk. Eventually, they arrived at the Motel and saw a very familiar car parked in one of the spaces. _The Impala._ Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach fell. Sam was here somewhere. She mentally chastised herself; this was her older brother for God's sake! She shouldn't be this nervous. And yet she was.

She peered around and noticed a certain someone's absence. "Bobby's gone in to see which room is Sam's," Dean told her knowingly.

"Oh," was all she said. She stepped out of the car, grabbing her coat as she went, all the while gaining more knots in her stomach by the second. He might be happy to see Dean again but what if he kicked her and Bobby out? It was starting to get cold so she slipped her coat on and zipped it up. A sidelong glance at Dean showed her he was lost in his own thoughts. About what, she didn't know nor was she going to ask.

About five minutes later, Bobby was heading towards them. "He's in room 207," he reported.

"Let's go," Dean said. The two of them trailed after him, but not before Dean quickly kissed the Impala lovingly, making Rosalie roll her eyes at the sight. Room 207 was at the end of the hall and after a deep breath, Dean muttered, "Let's get this over with," and knocked on the door.

The door opened after a few moments and much to their surprise, it wasn't Sam that answered, but a young woman. The woman in question had dark hair that cascaded past her shoulders in messy waves - and Rosalie didn't even want to know why it was so messy to begin with - and dark eyes. She was around her height and was barely dressed. Rosalie was just relieved she was wearing a white tank top even though she wore nothing blow the waist but her underwear. At the sight of her, Bobby turned his head away respectfully. Dean didn't seem to care much either way but Rosalie did. Inwardly, she was cringing in disgust. Would it have killed her to get dressed before answering the door to strangers? Gross! The girl squinted at them questioningly but for a split second, Rosalie swore she saw recognition pass through her features. It was gone though before the blonde could really look, so she dismissed it because it was impossible for her to know them since they'd never met before.

What reason could there be for this random woman to recognise them? She put it down to stress and an overactive imagination. She raised an arched brow as the woman placed a hand on her hip impatiently and demanded, "So where is it?"

"Uh...where's _what?"_ Dean asked in confusion.

The girl rolled her eyes and Rosalie almost ripped into her for her attitude. There was no freaking need to be rude. What was wrong with parents these days? If this woman were her daughter, she be getting a slap for her bitchy attitude. _"The pizza,_ duh. Didn't know it took three to deliver these days," she sneered. _All right, that's it. This little bitch needs to be put in her place!_

"Uh, excuse you? Do you wanna watch your tone with us? There's no need for that attitude. We're actually looking for someone so if you could curb the crap and point us in the right direction, that'd be appreciated thanks." Rosalie crossed her arms defiantly as she stared the girl down with a stony look on her face.

It was Dean that interrupted anything she would have said as he tried to redirect their attention back to their origional mission: finding Sam. "Sorry, we must have the wrong room," he grinned confidently.

The trio were about to leave when a tall, muscled figure appeared out of nowhere, shirt in his hand and a small smile on his face. "Hey, is everything-" That smile vanished when he caught sight of Dean first then the others and he froze. Dean stepped into the room and Sam swallowed hard, complete shock on his face. If they didn't know any better, they'd say he looked torn; torn between fighting or fleeing. But that didn't make sense. Sam was the one who brought Dean back...wasn't he?

"Hey, Sammy." Rosalie could hear the raw emotion in Dean's voice as he greeted their brother. Sam tensed up, eyes turning cold and hard, the promise of a violence and a slow death in his expression.

"Dean, don't-" Bobby warned, but it was too late. Sam was already going for Dean, the Demon knife in hand as he lunged. Dean managed to block the attack just in time and brought up a leg to kick him in the stomach. Sam reeled back, giving Bobby the opportunity to get behind him and restrain him.

Holding Sam back was a struggle for Bobby but somehow he managed it. "Who are you?!" Sam shouted angrily, nostrils flaring.

"Oh, like you didn't do this?!" Dean shouted back.

"Do what?!" Sam roared. _How dare someone use his brother against him like this?_

"Enough, Sam! It's him, it's really him. I checked before I brought him. Do you really think if I thought it wasn't him I'd allow him near your sister? Near _you?_ " Bobby gritted his teeth as he fought to keep hold of the middle Winchester. Knowing she'd probably only end up getting hurt, Rosalie stood watching from the sidelines. The room went quiet as Sam finally stopped fighting, going limp in Bobby's grip and staring at Dean hopefully. Dean frowned at Sam's reaction and tilted his head in question.

"What? I don't..." He stuttered, looking to Rosalie for confirmation. She nodded subtly, the same question running through her own mind. If Sam was so shocked that Dean was here again and alive then it meant he hadn't been the one to bring him back. But if Sam wasn't the one to do it, then who - or what did? Bobby was cautious to let go but did so anyway at Dean's signal. Sam lunged again but this time it was to pull him into a hug, not to attack. Dean immediately returned it and the two stayed like that just gripping each other like they were the only ones left in the world. When they pulled back, it was to two sets of teary eyes and watery smiles.

The moment was ruined by a voice they'd all forgotten was there. "So, are you two like...together-together?" The snarky brunette that answered the door was stood watching the scene. She looked slightly uncomfortable but there was something else in her expression - something that vanished before it could be deciphered.

Sam looked put out. "What? N-no, he's my brother. _Our_ brother," he corrected, gesturing to himself and Rosalie.

 _"Oh,"_ she murmured, understanding dawning on her. "Uh, maybe I should go," she said, turning to pick up the rest of her clothes from the floor.

"Yeah, you really should," Rosalie agreed coolly.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Sam advised distractedly.

When she was done getting dressed, she headed for the door. "So, uh, call me?" The hopeful tone in her voice was irritating but Rosalie couldn't understand why. There was something about this chick that rubbed her the wrong way and she didn't like it.

"Uh, sure thing, Kathy."

Her face fell in disappointment. "It's _Kristy."_

"Uh, sure. Whatever." She was still there when she shut the door on her. Rosalie kept her distance, leaning against the wall, one leg bent against it, her arms crossed against her chest while Dean chose to lean on the wall closest to Sam. They waited for him to finish getting dressed before starting the interrogation. There was something mildly alarming about his strange behaviour.

"So, how much did it cost, Sam?"

"What, the girl? You know I don't pay, Dean."

Dean wasn't interested in playing games. "Not what I meant. What did it cost to bring me back? Your soul or something else?"

"You think I made a deal?"

Sam paused and looked up. "You think I made a deal." It was a statement not a question and everyone in the room recognised it for what it was. His tone held offence in it which only irked Dean more.

"You must've done," Rosalie said coolly.

"Dunno what to tell you but it wasn't me."

"Don't lie to me!" Dean suddenly barked. He was quickly losing patience with Sam. Didn't his brother understand what he'd done? This wasn't how he wanted to be saved at all but now he was back and his brother was apparently in trouble and there was nothing he could do about it. The situation was out of his hands and he _hated_ it.

Sam got to his feet. "I'm _not_ lying!"

"So, what, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it?" He demanded harshly. "You some Demons bitch now, huh? You know I didn't wanna be saved like this!"

Sam reached the end of his tether. "I didn't do it but you know what? I wish I had! I tried _everything_ but _nothing_ worked. No one wanted to deal. You were down there for months, Dean and there was nothing I could do about it."

The ruefulness in his tone and his words processed through everyone's minds. So Sam wasn't the one who brought Dean back after all. So that left one more question: who or what brought him back? Dean stepped back calmly, finally believing his words but Rosalie was upset and horrified at his revelations. Exactly how much trouble had he gotten himself into while he'd been alone? How many times had he almost gotten himself killed trying to do something stupid? The disbelief that her brother was being so careless with his life shook her up majorly. Just how close had she came to losing another sibling without even knowing? That alone should have softened her towards him but instead, she only felt more anger at his stupidity. Didn't he give a crap how it would affect her in the long run if something happened to him? Obviously not. She felt disillusioned and hurt. How could he do that to her?

Dean just patted Sam on the shoulder and brushed off his collar. "It's okay, Sammy. I believe ya. You trying to kill me the second you laid eyes on me proves it. You wouldn't have done it otherwise," he added dryly.

Sam sheepishly cast his gaze to the floor, face red in embarrassment at the way he reacted. "Yeah, sorry about that."

Rosalie took the moment to compare her brothers in that moment. Sam was taller than Dean by at least three inches. He definitely towered over her and Bobby, that's for sure. While Sam was more sculpted body wise than Dean due to working out so much, Dean was still stronger than Sam and they all knew it. Sam's facial feature were different too - sharper and sculpted while Dean wasn't. His hair was longer too. It wasn't shoulder length but it did touch the collar of his shirt. She caught him giving her sidelong glances but every time she did, he'd turn away, expression unreadable. It made her wonder what he was thinking.

"Uh, as touching as this reunion is, if you didn't make a deal and we didn't make a deal...then who did?" Bobby asked meaningfully.

Dean nodded tensely. "Yeah, that's what I wanna know. I need a friggen beer."

"There's some in the fridge," Sam gestured to the small kitchen.

Both Dean and Bobby muttered something like 'thank God' and went to get some, leaving Sam alone with Rosalie. The atmosphere in the room turned tense and awkward again with neither knowing what to say to the other. Luckily, they didn't have to because Dean returned in that moment. "So, what _were_ you doing if you weren't digging me out?" He moved to sit on Sam's bed. Dean already had his beer in hand. Bobby held out another in Sam's direction - not even bothering to offer one to Rosalie as he knew the silver-white blonde didn't drink at all.

"Once I figured I couldn't stop it or save you, I started hunting down Lilith in payback," he confessed, still holding his unopened beer." His gaze momentarily flickered to Rosalie who looked away in disappointment. It was just another stab to the gut. Just the mere fact that he didn't involve her in trying to kill the bitch screamed a thousand words in her mind. Not only did he leave her alone to her grief but he also risked his life hunting her down alone. She couldn't even formulate a response to his confession, she was that lost for words. How selfish could he be? They could have easily lost him too. Didn't he realise how irresponsible he was?

"What, all by yourself?" Bobby asked gruffly. He was unsatisfied and unhappy at the newest news. "Who do you think you are, your daddy?"

Sam dipped his head in shame. "Sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was just really messed up." Rosalie snorted quietly. Messed up weren't even the right words for what he was.

Dean bent down to pick something up and let out a dry chuckle, a discarded bar in one hand. "Oh yeah, I really feel your pain."

Rosalie wasn't interested in the bra though, she was more interested in her brother. Something was definitely up with him. Yeah, he'd told them bits and pieces of what he'd been up to but not much. He'd been trying to find Lilith in vengeance, but how? How was he going about locating her? Was he with anyone or was he truly alone like he implied? More importantly, what would he have done if he _had_ found her? Lilith was powerful. Very powerful. Killing her wasn't going to be easy, hell, even getting close to her would be difficult. How would he have managed to do it or did he not think it through enough? The knife probably would have the effect but again, it was getting close enough to do it. Not to mention her powers. Something didn't quite add up here. Not to mention he seemed...different. His body language and the guilt in his eyes did nothing to alleviate her worries. Was he not telling them something? Nothing came to mind. What could he possibly be holding back from them and why? Even as he went on to tell them about hunting down Demons close to Lilith and failing, she found herself zoning out of the conversation entirely.

She shrugged it off and vowed to get to the bottom of it later. The main thing that was currently bothering her was his choice to hunt Lilith down alone but there wasn't much she could do about it now. Oh well. She came to just in time to hear Bobby say, "I know a Psychic that could help us. I could make a call."

"Worth a shot," Dean agreed.

"Okay, I'll make that call," he said, pulling his phone out from his pocket and leaving the room.

Sam took this opportunity to ask a question he'd been dying to know. "Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"What was it like?"

Rosalie tensed at the question. She couldn't believe Sam had asked it so soon after Dean had returned. What was he trying to do, cause more pain for him or something? Although a very small part of her also wanted to know, she was respectful and didn't want to bring anything back up.

Dean blinked at him and paused thoughtfully. "What, Hell?"

"Yeah."

"Dunno. Can't remember. Must be lucky or something."

Her eyes narrowed at his dismissal. His expression was blank which told her all she needed to know; he was lying. She could've called him out on it but he would probably get defensive and angry with her. Besides, he had a good reason to lie. She doubted he'd want anyone to know what happened to him down there. He had a good reason and for that alone, she'd leave it.

Sam looked relieved and smiled tentatively. "Okay, good." The conversation fell flat and it was at that time, Sam finally turned to acknowledge Rosalie since they'd arrived. "Hey, Rosalie."

"Hey," she replied a little stiffly.

"So...how've you been?" He asked lamely.

"How do _you_ think?" His question was stupid. If he were struggling the last few months then how was she going to be? The fact he even needed to ask almost had her slapping him.

"Look, I know you're angry with me. I should have returned Bobby's calls. I'm sorry," he sighed.

"We'll deal with this later. Right now I wanna find out what this things is, yeah?" Without waiting for a reply, she followed after Bobby, leaving Sam to stare after her.

* * *

 ** _The next morning_**

Since the drive was a few hours away, the group decided it was best to do the trip the next morning. In the meantime, the siblings used this to reconnect a little and spend some time together. Things between Rosalie and Sam were still a little strained but they were slowly getting better. The next morning came all too soon and within a few hours, they found themselves outside the home of Pamela Barnes. Pamela was an older woman with curly dark hair and tanned skin. Her eyes were kind and she welcomed them in with a pretty smile. The house itself was nice and cosy; decorated with a few bits and pieces of Pagan artefacts here and there but otherwise _normal_. As soon as they were inside, she immediately began flirting with the boys. Rosalie of course, took notes on the interaction, not knowing how she herself was in the flirting department. She never had any time for boyfriends in her life be it school or anywhere else. Hunting and training too up most of her time and one look at her brothers, any suitors would run for the hills anyway.

It didn't take too long to set up the seance really and when it was done, they all gathered around a round table. The room was dark and there were candles all lit up on the table. To Rosalie, it felt slightly eerie. "Take each others hands," Pamela instructed in her low, raspy voice. Dean took Rosalie's, who took Sam's, who in turn took Bobby's. "All right, Now I need to touch something our mystery monster touched."

Dean jumped suddenly, startling the others and exclaimed, "Well, he didn't touch me _there."_

Pamela grinned coyly. "Oops, my mistake." The others exchanged looks of confusion and disgust. Dean cleared his throat and rolled up his sleeve again. Sam's jaw dropped and he stared at the scar on his arm in shock. _What the hell?_ He turned to Bobby and Rosalie and realise with a start that they'd seen it before. Pamela remained unaffected and gently laid her hand on the hand-print and closed her eyes. "Okay." Everyone else copied her. "I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle," she chanted. Her voice was strong and full of confidence. "I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle."

The TV suddenly switch on to static and the table began to shake. "I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure and command...Castiel? No, sorry, Castiel. I don't scare easy."

The others perked up at having finally gotten a name for the thing. "Castiel?" Dean repeated.

"It's name," she explained patiently. "It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back. "I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face." As her voice rose, so did the static on the TV. Everything in the room began to shake violently around them and they each gripped each other tighter, a bad feeling enveloping them all. "I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face."

"Maybe we should stop?" Bobby shouted over the noise.

But Pamela wasn't willing to back down so easily. She shook her head at him without opening her eyes and stated confidently, "I've almost got it." _This wasn't going to end well._ "I command you, show me your face. Show me your face now!"

No one knew if it was the last order that did it or whether or not the creature had enough of her trying to summon him but but a split second later, the candles shot up high into the air and a bright light covered Pamela's eyes. She opened them and screamed a piercing scream that made their blood run cold. Before anyone could react, it was over. The candles returned to normal, the house became silent and still once more and the light covering Pamela's eyes was gone. She slumped forward, moaning softly.

Bobby was the first to move. He brushed her hair out of her face and was met with something both terrifying and horrific. Where her eyes once were, were now empty, bloody sockets. Thin lines of blood slid down to her cheeks and she was sobbing uncontrollable. "My eyes! I can't see! My eyes!"

"Oh, my God," Rosalie murmured.

"Call 911!" Bobby shouted.

* * *

 _ **Later that same night**_

It was late and the sibling were back at the Motel. Bobby was in the room down the hall from them and Rosalie was next door to Sam and Dean. Sam waited for Dean to fall asleep before quietly getting to his feet and tip-toeing to the door. As much as he felt guilty for lying to them, he knew they wouldn't understand. There was a quiet _click_ of the door when he closed it but not enough to wake Dean. Every now and then, he'd turn to look back, worried he might have been caught and followed. Back in the Motel room, Dean had awoken and was slipping his coat on.

He didn't have time to wonder where Sam was and Bobby and Rosalie were sound asleep - he'd checked before he'd left. He got into his car and started driving. This gave him the opportunity to summon and trap this thing once and for all. He didn't want his family involved in all of this; this things was clearly after him and him alone for some reason, so he was going to be the one to handle it. He chose an abandoned warehouse that was mostly empty except for a few bits and pieces here and there. The supplies for the trunk of the car were enough to paint every single warding symbol known in the hunter world. It took a few hours but it was well worth it. He took one look at his handiwork and walked over to the wooden table where his weapons were. The whole place was covered in wards and traps. He was pretty much set with the weapons too - the Demon blade, Silver, Salt, Iron and Stakes. Yep, he was pretty much covered, now all he had to do was summon it and wait.

He picked up the book and followed the instructions to the letter and began chanting. At first, nothing happened. He waited five minutes then ten...fifteen, still nothing. Did he do something wrong? Was it the spell perhaps? It didn't take long for him to be come bored and impatient. He was playing with the Demon knife when the roof began rattling noisily above him. He grabbed his shotgun and eyes the room warily. "Wishful thinking but maybe it's just the wind."

As if offended by his claim, the lights burst, showering the floor with white hot sparks and filling the room with darkness. The wooden doors shook as if struggling to keep someone out. The doors burst open with a loud bang and the first thing Dean could see is a shadow. The shadow belonged to a man with power. The power threatened to overwhelm Dean. Was this him? Castiel? His grip tightened on his shotgun and he began to shoot even as he walked towards him slowly. Every step this thing took was filled with purpose. Whatever this was it was no ordinary Demon. In between shots and raining sparks, he could see the face of the man. There was nothing special about him, he looked ordinary minus the power. The guy had dark hair and was dressed a tax accountant. The man had the most stony, blank expression on his face Dean had ever seen. Dean's eyes flickered downwards. He walked somewhat stiff as if he'd either been sitting wrong or he'd been out in the cold long enough.

The worst part was he barely blinked as Dean pumped bullet after bullet into him. The creature remained unaffected and just kept coming with the most emotionless look and Dean couldn't help the slither of fear he was beginning to feel. _What the fuck was this thing?_ Just the way it oozed authority let him know it knew it was powerful and in control. None of the weapons were working and neither were the traps. As a last resort, he grabbed the Demon blade and hid it behind his back. He prayed it would work but deep down, he had a feeling it wouldn't. Castiel stopped in front of him, a serene look on his face. Everything in the building had calmed down. "Who are you?" Dean demanded. He hoped he couldn't hear how scared he actually was.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition," he answered. His voice was deep and gravelly.

"Yeah? Thanks for that." He reared back and plunged the blade into his chest and stepped back. _Nothing happened._ Dean's semi-confident look turned to shock and outright fear. Castiel looked down at the knife buried in his chest as if unconcerned and with an amused smirk at Dean, he pulled it out and dropped it as if it were nothing. Dean gaped incredulously at him. It was mostly the smug look on his face that irked Dean.

It was the _'I'm a powerful being you don't know how to kill and there's nothing you can do about it'_ look and it unsettled him to the core. _Smug bastard!_ Dean despised that look. He sidestepped past Dean, pausing at one of the books Dean brought with him.

"Don't worry. I have no interest in harming you, Dean."

"Who are you?"

The man was sat down but he looked up. "Castiel."

"Yeah, I figured _that._ I meant _what_ are you?"

Castiel paused before answering. "I'm an Angel of the Lord."

For once in his life, Dean Winchester was speechless. Was this guy for real? He examined the man critically, wanting to laugh sceptically in his face and proclaim him insane but something stopped him from doing it. "You expect me to believe that crap? There's no such things as Angels," he growled.

Castiel stood up and approached him again. "This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith." He drew a deep breath as Thunder sounded. A loud and bright flash of Lightening lit up behind him and behind him on the wall, Dean saw flashes of huge shadowy wings behind Castiel - wings that rose up high, stretching out then vanished. The affect was amazing and it left Dean in silence. _What could he say to that?_ Castiel closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Some _Angel_ you are," Dean sneered in disgust and contempt. "You burned out our friend's eyes!"

His mouth twitched slightly and he sighed. "I warned her not to spy on my true form," he said ruefully. Dean had to wonder if he actually know what regret felt like. "It can be overwhelming to humans and so can my real voice. But you already knew that," he added knowingly.

Dean's eyes widened as realisation dawned on him. "You mean back at the gas station? That was you _talking?"_ Castiel nodded. "Buddy, next time lower the volume."

"That was my mistake," Castiel said. "Certain people, _special_ people can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

Dean wasn't sure if he felt relieved or offended by that comment but he let it go. "And what _visage_ are you in now? Holy tax accountant?"

"This?" Castiel looked down at himself somewhat thoughtfully. "This is a vessel."

Any jokes and sarcasm faded away the moment Dean heard those words. _He was possessing someone!_ His jaw dropped in disbelief. "You're possessing some poor bastard?" The anger in his tone was clear.

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this," Castiel replied calmly, obviously referring to the man he was using.

Dean scoffed doubtfully. Why the hell would someone pray to be ridden like a Stallion? "Uh huh. You know, it might've been easier to show up like this the first time instead of all the burning bush crap."

"Finding a human vessel durable enough to contain me, it's not easy."

"I have that same problem with the women," he joked. By the look on his face, Dean could tell he didn't understand the innuendo. "Look pal, I'm not buyin what you're sellin, so who are you really?"

Castiel tilted his head to the right, his features furrowed. "I told you."

"And why would an _Angel_ rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean."

"Not in my experience."

"What's the matter?" Castiel asked, his head tilted again. He squinted his blue eyes a little in a way that made Dean uncomfortable - like he was looking right into him with that intense look. His eyes widened only the smallest fraction, as if he'd just figured it out. "You don't think you deserve to be saved," he stated lowly.

"Why'd you do it?"

Castiel's gaze was still trained on Dean. His tongue darted out to lick his lips quickly. "Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."

And before Dean could say anything else, there was a _whoosh_ and he was once again alone in the warehouse. "Angels? Yeah right." He turned on his heel, picked up his weapons and headed back to the car. The only thing he had left to do was prepare for the earful and questions he was going to get when he returned. He could already see Sam getting a kick out of this.


	3. Awakening a grudge

_Sioux Falls - 3 days later_

To say Rosalie Winchester was pissed was a massive understatement. Both she and Bobby found out the next morning that not only had Dean left the Motel and failed to wake them but he'd also gone to summon the thing himself. Alone. Oh, yeah, she was pissed! The two had pressed for answers but he remained tight lipped about it, insisting they get back to Sam before he told them anything else. Now three days later, they were still arguing over it. They'd spent the first day researching lore on Angels, the second day on any other creature with Castiel's powers and finally, today, they were discussing what happened as well as searching for Angels (again) and anything to do with Lilith and Hell. It was so easy to focus on Dean's resurrection and the thing that brought him back but they still had to remember Lilith was still out there somewhere and she needed to be dealt with ASAP before she killed anyone else. She was only half listening to Sam and Dean arguing as she scooped up a spoonful of Hazelnut chocolate spread straight from the jar and into her mouth. She hummed in bliss then gasped, looking down. Coco, her chocolate coloured kitten had jumped on her lap, apparently looking for attention. She smiled and scratched him under his chin then behind the ear. He purred happily and leaned in for more.

"-For the last time, it was not a friggen Angel!"

Rosalie tapped her foot in annoyance. They were still arguing and it was starting to do her head in. She suppressed the urge to strangle them both childish antics. What exactly did they hope to achieve with arguing? Nothing. It didn't really help that she wasn't feeling her usual self. She had a banging headache and the beginnings of a sore throat. Ugh. Just her luck to get sick now.

"Then what was it?" Sam challenged from the chair he was sitting in. He was across from Dean, who was leaning against the counter. Bobby was in his study reading from one of his lore books and not paying an ounce of attention to them.

"Look, all I know is that I wasn't groped by some Angel, okay?"

"Why would he lie about it?"

"As I said: maybe he's some kind of Demon. Super-powered Demon. Demons lie all the friggen time."

It was at this point, Rosalie decided to join the argument. "Cept he's not a Demon, is he? You said so yourself. The traps and wards would have either kept him away or kept him in place. Not to mention nothing killed him."

"See? Even Rosie thinks it's not a Demon. He can't be. Not even the knife had any affect on him. Dean, _Lilith_ is scared of that thing!"

Dean paced the room in agitation. "Look, don't you think if they were real, some hunter somewhere would have seen one? _At some point?"_

Sam smirked smugly at him and leaned forward. "Yeah, _you_ just did."

Rosalie sniggered at the priceless look on her brothers face. "Okay, look, we all know Demons need bodies to roam around doing whatever it is they do. Maybe Angels need to as well? Maybe the reason no one's seen an Angel is because they haven't been on Earth for a very long time. It kinda makes sense."

Dean glared sceptically at her. "Like hell I'm gonna believe it's an 'Angel of the Lord' just cause it says so."

"Hey, you three wanna keep arguing or do you wanna come take a look at this?" Bobby interjected suddenly. This piqued their interest and they all huddled in the study. "I got stacks of lore-Biblical and pre-biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an Angel can snatch a soul from the pit."

"What else?"

Bobby looked up in confusion. "What else, what?"

"What else can do it?"

Understanding dawned on him. "Airlift your fat ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing."

While Sam was happy, Dean felt dismayed. Despite not wanting to believe, the evidence all mounted up to the same thing and it didn't sit well with him. He'd rather deal with Hell-bound creatures he knew how to deal with than something brand new that he knew nothing about. "This is good news. For once it's not Demon crap we're up you were saved by the good guys."

Dean threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, so say I believe for five seconds, then what? There's a God too?"

Rosalie shrugged thoughtfully. "I'd have to say so. Can't really have the good without the bad. It's like you can't have Demons without Angels. Something must've created everything. Where else would all this come from?"

"I dunno, guys." He was reluctant to believe in all that especially with everything he'd seen and done in his life. If there were Angels and a God, why were so many suffering constantly?

Sam changed tactics. "I know you're not on board with this, but this is becoming less about just faith and more about proof."

"Proof?" Dean repeated cynically.

"Yeah."

"Proof that there's a God out there who gives a crap about me personally? Yeah right. I ain't buyin that."

"Why not?" Sam snapped.

"Because why me? And why now of all times? Why give a crap about me? Don't get me wrong, I've save people but why me? I'm just as regular as everyone else. What sets me apart?"

"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs."

Dean pulled a face. "Well that's not creepy. I don't like getting singled out at parties much less by God."

"Well deal with it, cause I think he wants you to strap on your party hat," Sam grinned cheerfully.

Rosalie stared unseeingly at the table. "I have to agree with Sam on this."

Dean groaned in mock betrayal. "Not you too."

"Well, you keep saying about how he should pick someone else, but what would you have him do? Pick another hunter out there? They'd tell you the exact same thing and you wanna know why? Cause nine times out of ten, hunters don't believe they're good enough or worth it or whatever. They tend to twist everything on themselves by blaming themselves for everything. They tell themselves it's their fault if they couldn't save someone even if they tried, but ultimately, you can't save everyone." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and continued, "Hunters are annoyingly dramatic like that. I'll never understand why someone insists on taking the blame for something they didn't do or wasn't their fault. It's like a broken record going round and round forever, really. They'll just say the same thing. Same story from a different mouth, so no, I don't think it matters. I think we should be focusing on finding out what he wants from us as well as hunting than 'why me'?"

Bobby smiled proudly in her direction. She was a smart little thing as she was strong. "She's right there." He set some books down in front of them to take. "Now start readin."

Dean pouted, picking one up reluctantly. "Fine, but one of you is gonna get me pie."

Sam sighed but stood up, already picking up the keys and heading for the door. "I'll do it," he said then left.

Dean pointed at Rosalie and said, "If I have to do this then so do you."

"As you wish," she replied sweetly. She was similar to Sam when it came to research. She loved to take knowledge in her mind then apply the best solution for the situation. She also enjoyed reading and did it whenever she got the chance. A little while into it, Dean noticed Bobby checking his phone.

"You expecting a call or something?"

"She won't answer."

"Who won't?" Rosalie asked, brows furrowed.

"A hunter."

"What hunter?"

"Olivia Lowry. Been tryin to reach her for days. No answer. Just keeps goin to voicemail. It's not like her." She could hear the worry in his tone and felt sympathy for him.

"Why don't we go and check on her? Couldn't hurt, right? Maybe she's just busy." She suggested lightly.

He seemed relieved at her suggestion and nodded shortly. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." They headed out the door just in time to run into Sam. "Keep the engine runnin."

"Why?"

"Got a friend one state over. Olivia Lowry. I've been tryin to reach her for three days on this Angel thing. It's not like her to ignore this many calls."

"Olivia Lowry? A hunter, right?"

"Yeah. We're gonna go check on her. Follow me."

* * *

They reached the house within a few hours or so. Armed with guns, they burst through the door when they got no answer. "Hello?" Bobby called out. Nothing and no one came to greet them. Something about this sent goosebumps up Rosalie's arms. Something was definitely wrong here. There was no sign of the woman - No sign of anyone actually. "Olivia?"

No answer.

The group decided on splitting up in order to cover more ground. Sam was the one to find her first. "Bobby?" Bobby ran to Sam side the moment he heard him calling his name and froze. There, lying on the ground bloody and ripped open was the corpse of Olivia Lowry. She'd been stabbed then her stomach literally ripped open. Flies were already buzzing around the body and Bobby suddenly realized she must have been dead from the moment he began calling her. That meant she'd been dead for at least three days. Sam knelt down beside an unfinished salt line while Dean grimly picked up Olivia's EMF reader.

"Salt line."

"Olivia was rocking the EMF reader," Dean added. "Spirit activity."

Rosalie was shocked. "But it can't be, that's impossible. I've never seen a ghost be so vicious with someone. Besides, what triggered it? Ghosts can't just materialize out of thin air."

Before anyone could answer, Bobby, who'd left the room so he wouldn't have to look at Olivia suddenly returned, phone in hand with a worried look on his face.

"Bobby, you okay?"

"I called some other hunters nearby-" He started.

"Good. We can use their help," Dean interrupted rudely.

Rosalie glowered at his rudeness. "Shut up and let him finish. It would help, ya know."

"Cept they ain't answering their phone's either..."

"Something's up," Dean pointed out needlessly.

"You think?" Bobby snapped, slightly angry. He left the room again with a scowl. They followed after him in concern and worry. What the hell was going on here?

* * *

After salting and burning Olivia's body and discovering the spirits were mobile and going after hunters via Henrickson when he randomly showed up and attacked Sam, the group returned home only for Bobby to go missing. They found him in the end - thank God - and followed him down to the basement. Both Sam and Dean's eyes lit up in a childlike wonder as they stared in awe and amazement. In the basement was another room. The room was pretty big considering, with a single bed in the middle, a small desk, some sigils and a painted devils trap. Dean ran two fingers down the door and rubbed them together. There was a salt-like texture to it.

"Bobby, is this...?"

"Solid Iron. It's completely soaked in salt though. One hundred percent ghost proof," he stated proudly.

"You built a panic room?"

Bobby shook his head 'no'. "No, we built a panic room."

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

Dean smiled in admiration. "You're awesome."

Rosalie coughed, rolling her eyes. "What am I then, chopped liver?"

"You're awesome too."

"I know."

"Okay, let's see what we can find out here."

All four made themselves comfortable and began reading. It hadn't even been ten minutes when Dean spoke up again. "See, this is why I can't get behind God."

"What are you talking about?"

Dean paused. "If he doesn't exist then fine, bad crap happens. That's how it is - no rhyme or reason, I get it. But if he does, then where is he? What's wrong with him? Why the hell isn't he helping all these people who are getting ripped to shreds?" His tone turned slightly darker as he spoke. "How does he live with himself?

"It's just the way life works, Dean. No one knows the answer to that question unfortunately. If you could save everyone then what's the point of living? Not to mention total world overpopulation. Not everyone is good and no one is perfect; you just have to deal with the bad and evil along with the good. You don't have to like it, just accept it."

Dean's eyes narrowed. "When did you get so damn wise?"

"A little while ago."

"Found it! The symbol you saw - the brand, it's a mark of the Witness."

"The what?"

"The mark of the Witness," Bobby repeated.

"Witness to what?"

The unnatural. None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts were forced to rise. They woke up in agony; like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault, someone rose them on purpose."

Rosalie and Dean grimaced, trying not to imagine the pain the souls must've been in to act they way they were. No wonder they were so pissy. Any one of them would be if they were in the same situation.

"Okay, but who rose them and what for?"

"Lilith," Rosalie said grimly.

Both Sam and Dean flinched at the name. It was a name that left a bitter taste in the middle Winchester's mouth. His jaw clenched and the only thing stopping him from losing it all together was the knowledge that he was getting closer to her through Ruby, who was secretly alive and helping him. The main reason he hadn't yet came clean was because he knew they'd want to kill her rather than let her live and Sam couldn't let that happen. He needed her but his brother and sister wouldn't understand. He hoped Lilith would be dead by the time they figured out the truth but he wasn't naive to believe it would end like that. After her death, well, who knew what he'd do about Ruby. He hadn't yet decided. "Of course," he said bitterly. "Should have known it'd be her."

Rosalie shrugged. "It's the only explanation. But _why?"_

"Does it look like I know? But whoever it was used a spell so powerful, it left a mark on their souls. Whoever did this has big plans. It's called 'The rising of the Witnesses' and it figures into some ancient prophecy."

"And what book is that prophecy from?"

"The book of Revelations. This is a sign boys and girl."

"A sign of what?" The boys chorused.

"The Apocalypse."

The room went silent with the siblings looking at Bobby as if he'd grown another head. "The Apocalypse? As in the four Horsemen, Pestilence, five-dollar-a-gallon Apocalypse?" Dean asked.

"No, the _other_ one," Bobby replied sarcastically. "The rise of the Witnesses is a mile marker."

"Okay, so now what do we _do?"_

"First things first. How about we survive our little friends out there then worry about the rest later?" Bobby gestured to the door with his chin.

"Sure, _great_. Any ideas on how to do that besides sitting in here 'til judgement day?" Dean commented dryly.

"It's a spell to send them back. Should work."

 _"Should?"_ Sam muttered wryly.

"If I translated it right, yeah. Think we've got everything we need in the house."

"Any chance you got everything we need in this room?" Dean asked hopefully. Rosalie was with Dean on that one. She didn't particularly fancy going out to deal with murderous, rabid spirits bent on physically ripping them apart.

"So you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden?" Bobby said flatly, looking up from the book. "Spell's gotta be cast over an open fire."

"The fireplace in the study," Sam realized.

"Bingo."

Both Sam and Rosalie got up to make sure their weapons were ready to use. Dean paced the room unhappily. "That's just not as appealing as a, uh, ghost proof panic room, you know?" He was nervous, they all were.

"Cover each other," Bobby warned. "Aim carefully. Don't run out of ammo 'til I'm done or they'll shred you. Ready?"

No, they weren't but they took a deep breath and opened the door anyway. They cautiously stepped out, not seeing anything or anyone around. Their relief was cut short however, at the sight of a familiar dead man with curly hair sitting on the stairs, clearly waiting for them. "Hey, Dean. Remember me?"

The man stood up and Dean immediately recognised him. "Ronald? With the laser eyes? Wish I could say it's good to see you."

The dead man didn't smile back. He snarled at him, eyes twisted in hatred and revenge. "I am dead because of you! You were supposed to help me!"

Dean's smile faded and he swallowed hard. He remembered Ronald and how they met and more importantly, he remember what happened to the man - how he died. Just as he was about to go for Dean, a shot rang out and he disappeared. Bobby glared darkly at him. "If you're gonna shoot then shoot. Don't talk."

They ran up the stairs to get the ingredients needed to send the spirits back while Sam worked on the salt line. Bobby turned to Sam suddenly and said, "Upstairs, linen closet; there's a red box. It'll be heavy." Sam nodded and hurried off, allowing him to then turn to Dean. "Kitchen, the cutlery draw; it's got a false bottom. Hemlock, Opium and Wormwood." Rosalie moved to stand beside the older hunter.

Dean headed to the kitchen but did a double take. "Opium?"

 _"Move_ , Dean!" She barked. She pushed an annoying piece of her hair back behind her hair as she bent down to pick up her gun. She moved closer to Bobby - ready to protect him with everything she had. Her face was grim but determined as she shot at the spirits of two little girls. They vanished once more, but not for long.

"Hey." Rosalie whirled around and was met with a blonde woman with short hair. She looked semi-friendly at least but she knew it wouldn't last long. All in all, this wasn't someone Rosalie recognised. Who was she? "You must be Rosalie."

"Depends who's asking."

"The name's Meg. Meg Masters. You don't know me but I know your brothers. You know, I used to be a simple college girl before that Demon took over, cut my hair and dressed me like a slut. Then your brothers came into the picture, and they seemed to know what they were doing. I held on to hope that they could help me, I screamed and begged them from inside my own head, and you know what they did?" Rosalie backed away, knowing exactly where this was going. This girl - whoever she was, wasn't someone her brothers were able to save and as a result, she obviously held a grudge. "They let me die. They had me thrown off a fucking building, and for what? Because they were too absorbed in finding they're worthless father! I died because of them and now, so will you." Rosalie cried out as she was thrown back against a wall. Her gun skidded across the floor and out of reach. She moaned, catching Bobby's eye as he turned in her direction and gestured her head to keep going. He did so reluctantly.

"It wasn't just me, you know. I had a younger sister that loved me and looked up to me. She adored me and I meant the world to her. Do you know how she was when I went missing? She was a fucking mess!" Meg shouted and lashed out. She kicked Rosalie in the face then bent down and pulled on the silver-white blonde's hair, yanking it back hard. Having heard enough, Bobby grabbed the nearest thing made of Iron and threw it at Rosalie.

She didn't hesitate and Meg's ghost disappeared. Unfortunately, she reappeared nearby less than two seconds later, a look of utter hatred on her pretty face. "Do you have any idea what it's like to watch your family knowing there's nothing you can say or do to ease they're worry or pain?! Do you know what it's like to ridden around by pure evil for months? _Months?!"_ Rosalie ran for the gun and aimed it at the dead blonde. "As I said, it wasn't just me. I had a sister and she got lost after I vanished."

"That's not our fault. That's on the Demon, not us. You wanna bitch at someone, bitch at the thing who took you," she spat angrily. While she sympathised with the woman about her life and her family, having lived through it herself, she was also angry because ultimately, it wasn't them that killed her, it was the Demon. _The same Demon who got away and is probably still roaming around doing the same thing to someone else._ "As much as I understand cause I've lost a sibling myself, so I know what that shit's like, you can't blame us for everything. You can't save everyone."

Meg grew furious and in response to her statement, she grabbed her from behind and shoved her forwards into a large mirror. She hit the mirror face first and it smashed. Rosalie fell to the ground, blood dripping down her face. She groaned weakly and pushed herself to her feet. No use staying there when a load of spirits were banking on killing you after all. "Tell that to my little sister! She _killed_ herself not long after she saw my beat-up, broken body in the Morgue! You're telling me that's not on you?! All your brothers cared about was their family, their revenge and their Demons. Just fifty words of Latin a little sooner and I'd still be alive. And so would my sister. That blood is on their hands. I had a front row seat to her death and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. My only sister, the only thing I had and I lost her. " Meg's gaze darkened, as did her tone with her next words. "As they'll lose you."

"I don't think so," Rosalie snarled. She shot at her and rushed to Bobby's aid once she was gone. They could hear Dean's voice but it was too low to hear what he was saying. There was a muffled grunt of pain and she almost ran to his side, leaving Bobby defenceless. She barely managed to stop herself from doing that but luckily, Sam arrived at the moment. She pointed to the kitchen and he nodded, getting the message.

There was a shot and for a split second, she thought something had gone wrong. The two ran out, carrying the rest of the ingredients though and she sighed with relief. Ronald appeared beside Dean just as he was reloading his gun. Dean fought for a distraction while they finished the spell but more and more angry spirits began to show up until it was like there was one everywhere you turned. They were all people the Winchesters (and Bobby) once knew before they'd died. They were all victims of something supernatural the siblings hadn't been able to save them from and it was actually kind of depressing when you thought about it. The attacks were becoming more and more violent and it was a struggle to defend themselves much less each other and stay alive long enough to send them back to their final resting place. Somehow they managed it, with Dean being the one to throw the spell into the fire after Bobby got attacked by Meg.

And not a moment too soon either. Once the house was free and clear and everyone was relatively fine, they each made themselves as comfortable as they could (what, with their sore bodies and all) and settled down to sleep the exhausting day off.

* * *

Dean woke up sometime during the night. He blinked tiredly, huffing irritably. Tonight was the first real rest he'd had in years and although to his family it was months, for him it had been much, much longer. In the last few days, he'd spent a lot of time contemplating about Demons, Hell, Angels and anything else his mind chose to think about. It was so hard not to think about what he'd done down there, what he'd almost turned into. If he listened carefully, he could still hear the never-ending screams, could feel the never-ending heat, pain and suffering. It was so strong, that the nightmares he had made it feel as if he were still down there reliving it all over again. Was it any wonder his sleep was limited? So why was he awake now? He lifted his head up and saw Sam next to him, still asleep and snoring quietly. The rest of the house was so silent, he assumed everyone else was still asleep too. He peered around trying to find out what woke him up and saw a dark but familiar face waiting for him in the kitchen.

 _Seriously? Doesn't this dude have anything better to do that show up when everyone's asleep?_ He got up and silently walked into the kitchen, leaning against the counter.

"Excellent job with the Witnesses," Castiel greeted. The Angel looked the same as he did the last time. He sounded the same too - he had the same unemotional, flat voice.

"You know?" He was surprised and angry about this. As strange as the day was, for him to know and bring it up must be important. At the same time though, if it were important, where was the backup when they needed it the most. He and his siblings had the crap kicked out of them and were almost killed, yet where was he at the time?

"I was, uh, made aware," he confessed.

"Right," he started sarcastically, anger simmering for the moment. "Would've been nice to have a heads up or better yet - _Angelic assistance!_ We got the crap kicked out of us today and almost died a few times! Hell, I almost got my heart ripped out!"

"But you didn't." The Angels uncaring attitude was starting to piss Dean off. What the hell was his problem anyway? One minute the guy claims to need him, the next he's not there to give a hand when really needed. Hypocritical bastard!

"You know, I thought Angels were supposed to be Guardians or something. You know, fluffy wings...halos, Michael Landon. _Not dicks,_ " Dean retorted lowly.

Castiel smirked a little in amusement at this. "Read the are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Yeah, then why didn't you fight? Cause from where I'm standing, a true soldier would fight. Where were you today when we were being attacked? We could have died - my brother and my sister could have died today! We needed help and yet you were nowhere to be seen."

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns."

"Concerns?" Dean's voice rose a little. _"There are people getting torn to shreds down here!_ And by the way, where is your God, if he even exists. I'm not convince cause if there's a God then what the hell's he waiting for, huh? Genocide? End of the world? Monsters roaming the streets? The friggen Apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger to help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"

Castiel looked down at this point. "The Lord works-"

Dean growled, cutting him off abruptly, knowing where he was going with that sentence and not liking it one bit. "If you say 'mysterious way' so help me, I will kick your ass!" Castiel held up his hands in defeat. Reeling from the way he'd just spoken to an Angel and gotten away with it, he went on carefully, "So, Bobby's right? About the Witnesses and all that? This is some kind of...sign of the Apocalypse."

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot."

"Do I wanna know what kind of things?"

"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The Rising of the Witnesses is just one of the sixty-six seals," Castiel explained.

"Right. I'm guessing that's not just a show at Sea World," he joked. Castiel's face remained blank though.

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith."

Dean thought back to the conversation in the panic room. "So, Rosalie was right about it being Lilith? I gotta tell you, man, she's a smart one for her age."

Castiel remained stoic. As Dean Winchester's charge, he was briefed on both he and his brother, Sam Winchester, boy with the Demon blood. He was well aware of what Dean did in Hell - what he became. Although he had no understanding of human emotions, he felt regret at not saving the righteous man sooner, as he knew Dean felt regret for the things he had done. He was also aware that Sam Winchester was consorting with the Demon Ruby and that she was indeed, still alive. So far, the two had been training to use his Demonic powers in the quest against Lilith but to do such a thing required the thing that gave him the abilities in the first place: Demon blood. Naturally, the blood was supplied by Ruby herself which only served as a further concern to Castiel.

"So, _she_ did the spell? _She_ rose the Witnesses."

"Um-hmm. And not just here. Twenty other hunters are dead."

"Of course. The little bitch picked victims the hunters couldn't save so they'd barrel right after us," he seethed.

"Lilith has a certain sense of humour," Castiel agreed.

"Well, we put those spirits back to rest."

Castiel shook his head, lips down-turned. "Doesn't matter. The seal was broken."

"Why break the seal anyway?" Dean asked. He was now wide awake and fully alert.

"Y-you think of the seals as locks on a door," he hinted ominously. Dean sort of saw where it was going and it was more than disconcerting.

"Okay, last one opens and...?"

Castiel pushed himself off of the counter and moved to face him completely at this point. His body was tense as he fought to get the words out. "Lucifer walks free."

There was a long pause as Dean processed the words. Dean raised his brows, half expecting the Angel to admit he was joking. Out of everything the Angel _could_ say, _that_ wasn't it. A shiver ran down his spine at the name, despite not fully believing.

 _"Lucifer?_ But I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at Demon Sunday school. He's not real. There's no such thing." Dean faltered at the seriousness on Castiel's face. Evidently, the Angel didn't agree with him.

"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me," he pointed out. Well, Dean couldn't argue with _that_ one. "Why do you think we're walking among you now for the first time in two thousand years?"

"To stop Lucifer," Dean whispered in realisation. Oh, crap. _Just what the hell have they gotten into this time?_

Castiel nodded solemnly. "That's why we've arrived."

Unsettled by the newest revelation, Dean pulled back, one of his defence mechanisms kicking in. "Well...bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the Witnesses. Nice."

Finally losing patience, Castiel fought back against Dean's accusations. "We tried. There were other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost." Dean rolled his eyes and scoffed in disbelief. Castiel stepped closer to Dean until he was directly in front of the hunter. He wasn't close enough to be in his face but just enough to be slightly in his personal space. It caught Dean's attention. "Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here."

He leaned in closer, ignoring how uncomfortable Dean was becoming and lowered his already deep voice further. Dean was almost sure he could see the resentment brewing from within. Almost. "You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in," he warned darkly.

The threat was enough to keep Dean silent for the moment. Before he could even think of a reply to it, Castiel was already gone and Dean was once again alone. He jolted awake with what felt like a second later to him and found himself back in his bed. He sat up, disorientated only to see Sam was already up. Sonofabitch. If that dream were real (and Dean was sure that it was) then it meant Castiel just went all Biblical on his ass.

* * *

 **Question: Originally, I was going to have Castiel not know who Rosalie was only to find out about her after meeting her on Halloween or through his Superiors or something. Now I'm not so sure. At the moment, I'm currently writing out another chapter so I want you lot to give me a sign. Do I make Cas know her from the beginning? Or do I go with him not knowing her and have them meet after the battle of Samhain in the park? (I've got some good ideas for that Ep tbh - something new and different hopefully). The next chappy probz won't be uploaded for the next few days, so you have time.**

 **I'll give you about a week or so to decide cause the next chappy to come out isn't the Halloween one. That one's after. PS, hope you like the re-writes so far. Hopefully it's better than what it was before.**


	4. Chapter 4: Back to the beginning

**"You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt.** **And who wants to leave butt prints in the sands of time?"**

 **\- Unknown**

* * *

It was after the incident with the ghosts at Bobby's that everything went slowly downhill. It was night, and all the Winchesters except one were sound asleep in their motel beds. Sam was wide awake, waiting for the perfect moment where he could sneak out of the room without waking the others to meet up with Ruby. So far, he had successfully kept the fact that she was very much alive and helping him but he couldn't help but wonder how long that would last before the truth was exposed and everything would be out in the open. He tossed and turned until his phone beeped with a text.

 _I'm here. Let's go._

Sam climbed out of bed and looked at the other two. In his haste to leave, it didn't occur to him the nightmares Dean might suffer through nor did it occur to him that Dean might have lied about not remembering his time in Hell. If it HAD occurred to him, he wouldn't have left. But he did. Just as the text said, Ruby was waiting for him in her car. She smiled happily at him as he climbed in next to her. "Ready?" She asked sweetly.

Sam stared ahead, not looking at her. "Definitely." He didn't notice as her smile turned into a smirk as they drove off.

* * *

Dean's sleep was anything but pleasant. He frowned, tossing and turning, trying desperately to escape the memories ingrained within him. His min was filled with images of blood and pain and fear and no matter how much he tried, how much he screamed, he couldn't get away. He groaned, his back arching up before he collapsed on the bed, still. Sweat coated his face and he panted heavily. A second later, he awoke with a sharp gasp, his green eyes wide and darting frantically around the room. Sensing another presence, he turned to see a familiar yet unwanted figure sitting beside him on the bed. He huffed in irritation but nevertheless sat up as the figure slowly turned his head to look at the hunter with a curious expression on his face. "Hello, Dean." His blue eyes bore into Dean, making him more than a little uncomfortable. _What the hell was his problem? Did he have to show up there?_ "What were you dreaming about."

Dean swallowed hard. He was sure by the look on Castiel's face that the Angel _knew_ exactly what he had been dreaming about. He could lie, say that he had no idea what he was talking about but he had a feeling Castiel wouldn't believe him so he did the only thing he could think of. He masked his emotions and deflected. "What, do you get your freak on by watching other people sleep? What do you want?" He snapped.

Castiel either didn't notice or didn't care about the obvious hint to leave and ignored him. "Listen to me. You _have_ to stop it."

"Stop what?"

Again, Castiel ignored his question. He pressed two fingers to Dean's head and the hunter vanished. Castiel's gaze then turned to the only other occupant left in the room. _Rosalie_. Dean had said her name was Rosalie or Rose, he didn't know which she preferred but he would be meeting the girl face to face soon enough so he guessed he would find out then. Dean was off on a quest to discover the truth thanks to his superiors and he knew where Sam was. The abomination was out consorting with Demons and using the powers they had given him as a baby and Rosalie...well, Rosalie was fast asleep, safe and sound.

The Angel tilted his head curiously, his blue eyes trained on her sleeping form. He gave a small smile of amusement as she rolled over, accidentally kicking her covers off of her in her sleep. He pressed his lips together and chuckled quietly as she curled her body into a ball, reminding him of a cat or a small hamster. His eyes fell onto her smooth, creamy skin the covers had revealed to him and he instinctively reached out and placed a warm hand on her bare arm. She was cold to touch but it didn't affect him in any way. His thumb gently caressed her skin for a few moments as he eyed her for any signs of her waking up.

His superiors had ordered him to send Dean back but said nothing about revealing himself to the white haired girl. He turned to leave but stopped. He picked up the edges of the covers she had been using and lifted them back up, covering her body completely so she wouldn't get cold and went to stand by the window, every so often his gaze turning to the sleeping girl.

* * *

Dean woke up with a start to find himself lying on a bench. _What the hell?_ How had he got out there? He sat up and pulled out his phone. No signal, how typical. "Perfect," he muttered to himself, putting his phone back into his pocket. He stood up and looked around, his gaze turning to a diner across the road. It said _Jay Bird's Diner._ Dean opened the door to the diner and stopped. Something was wrong, something was...weird. The diner looked like it came out of the 60's or the 70's. He hesitated but went to sit down next to a young dark hair man. He turned to the man and asked gruffly, "Hey, where the hell am I?"

The man turned to him, a strange look on his face as he looked Dean up and down. "Jay Bird's Diner."

Dean suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the man's sarcastic answer. "Yeah, thanks. I mean, uh... City and State," he tried again.

"Lawrence, _Kansas_."

Dean froze. Surely the man wasn't serious? Why the hell would he be there for of all places? "L-Lawrence?"

The man stared at him in worry. "Hey, you okay buddy?"

"Yeah, tough night," he lied quickly.

The man just nodded in understanding, a smile on his face as he relaxed again, turning to a man behind the counter and pointing a finger at Dean. "Hey, uh, coffee here, Reg."

The man - _Reg_ , nodded in response. "Okay, coming right up."

"Can you tell me where I can get reception on this thing?" Dean gestured to his phone.

The man did a double take. "The USS Enterprise?"

Dean said nothing but stared back in confusion. His attention was averted when a cup of hot coffee was placed in front of him. He glanced up at the man and smiled, picking up the cup and putting it to his lips. "Thanks. Nice threads. You know Sonny and Cher broke up, right?"

Both men turned to stare at Dean in obvious shock. "Sonny and Cher broke up?"

Dean's smile faded as he took in the looks on their faces. He then turned to look around the diner, _really_ look, and noticed something weird. Everyone was dressed in 70's clothing and the diner matched. What the hell was going on here? He spun around in his seat and caught sight of a newspaper the dark haired man was reading and leaned closer. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he read the headline and saw the date. **Nixon accepts resignation of top. Monday, April 30, 1973.**

 _1973? Shit!_ Dean mouthed as the diner door opened and a man called out, "Hey, Winchester!"

Both men turned to look at the owner of the voice at the same time. To his utter surprise, Dean watched as he made a beeline for the man next to him. "Son of a bitch. How you doing, Corporal?"

"Hey, Mr. D."

"I heard you were back."

"Yeah, a little while now."

"Good to have you home, John, damn good."

Dean stared at the dark haired man in awe. _No. It can't be._ John? John Winchester?! "Dad?" He whispered under his breath. Neither men noticed the way he was staring at John just as neither heard what he said.

"Well, say hello to your old man for me."

"You got it, Mr. D." John turn back into his seat, his smile fading as he caught sight of Dean staring at him. "Do we know each other?"

"I...don't think so," Dean choked out.

John stood up and turned to leave but not before giving Dean one last odd glance. "Take it easy, pal."

"Yeah."

* * *

Dean felt like a stalker as he followed John from a distance. He turned the corner and cried out when he almost ran into Castiel. "Woah! What is this?" He demanded angrily. Clearly it was time travel and Dean hated time travel.

Castiel stared at him. "What does it look like?"

Dean glared. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the Angel was getting sassy with him. "Is it real?"

"Very," he replied solemnly.

Dean was _not_ in the mood for this. Nightmares were one thing, Angels were another but being plucked from bed and being sent back to a time where his dad was alive with no explanation as to why was not cool. Not by a long shot. He was going to get some answers and he was going to get them now. "Okay, so what? Angels got their hands on some Deloreans? How did I get here?"

"Time is fluid, Dean. It's not easy, but we can bend it on occasion," he explained.

Dean scowled. "Well bend it back! Or tell me what the hell I'm doing here! I need to get back to Rosalie."

"I told you. You have to stop it. Rosalie will be fine. I will watch over her."

Dean was beginning to lose his patience with the Angels cryptic answers. "Yeah, cause I can trust _you_ ," he sneered. "Stop what? Huh? What, is there something nasty after my Dad?" Dean got no answer because at that moment, a car horn made him turn to look and when he looked back, Castiel was gone. "Oh, come on! What, are you allergic to straight answers, you son of a bitch?!"

* * *

It was a few hours later, that Dean had tailed both John and Mary. Dean had been left speechless when he saw Mary for the first time. She was young - a teenager, not yet the adult that Dean had always remembered. This Mary was different. She was more happy and carefree, not yet having experienced all the pain and tragedy she would later on in her life. This reminder left Dean feeling depressed again as he knew exactly how her story would end. On the ceiling...being burned alive. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice her standing behind him until it was too late. "Why are you following us?" _Smart and beautiful. Not just a pretty face._

He blinked and whirled around to face the suspicious young blonde. Before he could come up with an explanation of what to say to her, she kneed him in the stomach, causing him to double over giving her the opportunity to throw him against a metal container next to the building. She went to punch him but this time, Dean was ready and he side-stepped. "Are you crazy?!"

Mary ignored him, choosing to lunge at him once more. Just as she was about to hit her intended target, Dean grabbed her wrists at the last moment and held her. "You've been trailing us since my house," she pointed out coldly.

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

 _"Really?"_

They fought for a few more minutes before Dean managed to gain the upper hand, pinning Mary against the wall. "Okay, how about we talk about this, huh?"

"Let me go!"

Dean snorted. Did she think he was that stupid? He noticed a bracelet on her wrist and grabbed it, taking a closer look. It had charms on it. Protective charms. That could only mean one thing..."Are you a hunter?" And that was how Dean found himself sitting next to his long dead mother and her long dead parents.

"So, you're a hunter? Well, tell me something, mister hunter, you kill vampires with wooden stakes or silver?"

Dean smirked, leaning forward. "Neither, you cut their heads off." Mary smiled at his response. "So, did I pass your test?" He asked, his tone a little arrogant.

"Yep. Now get out of my house."

Mary turned to her dad in shock. "Dad!" She scolded.

"I don't trust other hunters, Dean, don't want their help, don't want them around my family."

"Knock it off, Samuel." Mary's mother said calmly as she walked into the living room, a kind smile on her face.

"He's a hunter!" Samuel pointed out.

"Who passed your little pop quiz, and now I am inviting him to dinner. Are you hungry?"

Dean nodded happily. "Starving."

"Good. I'm Deanna, you've met my husband Samuel, now wash up."

Dean just stared at her. _You have got to be kidding me!_ Samuel? Deanna? _Really?_ He turned to Mary questioningly _. "_ Samuel and Deanna?" Mary nodded. Well that explained a lot of things. _"Really?_ Well, at least I know who we're named after now. But seriously? Thanks mom. Thanks a lot," he muttered quietly.

* * *

"First time in Lawrence, Dean?"

Dean shook his head. "Well, it's been a while. Things sure have changed... I think." _More than you know._

 _"_ You working a job?"

Dean shrugged. He didn't know _why_ he was there let alone tell them. "Yeah, maybe."

"What's that mean?"

"It means I don't trust other hunters either, Samuel."

The air thickened. In an effort to relieve the tension in the room, Mary turned to Dean and asked, "Hey, um, so why were you following me and John?"

Dean inhaled sharply. What could he say to her? Hey, I'm a hunter from the future where Angels actually DO exist, my brother has weird psychic powers given to him by a Demon and oh, by the way, I'm your son and I've been sent back by an Angel for God knows why? Yeah, cause he could see _that_ going so well. "Mmm, I thought something was after your, um, boyfriend, but um, I don't think that anymore." He thought quickly.

Mary looked relieved.

"John Winchester mixing it up with spirits, can you imagine?" Deanna murmured.

Samuel's face twisted. Mary's eyes narrowed. "I saw that!"

"What?" Samuel asked innocently.

"That sour lemon look."

"Now hold on, John's a really, really nice...naïve civilian."

Dean had to stop himself from laughing. It was obvious how Samuel felt about John. The man clearly didn't see John as a hunter or a fighter but Dean knew otherwise and while it was tempting to tell them the truth, he knew that would only end in disaster. Especially with Mary sitting right next to him. "So what? You'd rather me be with a guy like this?" Mary's head tilted in Dean's direction.

Dean looked offended. "Hey! I resent that."

Samuel's eyes widened in horror. "Mary, of course not, it's just that I-"

He was interrupted by Deanna. "That's enough, both of you, we have company."

"So what about you, Samuel, you, uh, working a job?"

"Might be."

"He's working a job on the Whitshire Farm," Mary elaborated for him with a grin.

"Mary!"

Dean cleared his throat. "Whitshire, why does that name sound familiar to me?"

"Well, it's been all over the papers. Tom Whitshire. Got tangled up in a combine a few towns over."

"That kind of thing happens."

"So why was he on it in the first place when his crops are all dead?"

"Demonic omens?" Dean responded uneasily. He had a bad feeling he couldn't ignore.

"That's what I gotta find out."

"What about the rest of the town? Well, did you find anything on the web...of information that you have assembled?" Dean corrected himself hastily, remembering he was in a different time.

"Electrical storms maybe. The weather service graphs should be here on Friday." Deanna suggested.

"By mail?"

"No, we hired a jet liner to fly 'em to us overnight."

"You know, it sounds to me like we might be hunting the same thing. You know if we go in there in numbers, we could take care of this real quick."

"What part of "we work alone" do you not understand, son?"

* * *

Sam waited patiently as Ruby tied the Demon up, ready to be interrogated. The Demon, wearing a male meatsuit just smirked when he saw him, darkening Sam's mood. The past few months hadn't been easy on him - the training had been long and hard but he had come so far and now it was time to use everything he'd learned into getting what he wanted. Information on Lilith's whereabouts. He couldn't give up now, not when he was getting closer to Lilith.

The Demon himself sat there, taunting him cruelly while Ruby stood nearby supervising the situation just in case he happened to get free or Sam needed extra help. Unlikely but you never know. Demons were resourceful when they wanted to be. Ruby tossed her back length brown hair over her shoulder, her eyes almost unreadable as she watched the younger Winchester closely. She couldn't help but feel pride at the way she'd so easily gotten him to turn his back on everything he'd known just to follow her, tricking him into using his powers because she could 'help kill Lilith' as revenge. So easy and the best part was that he didn't even know.

Using him at his weakest point in order to manipulate him? A piece of cake. Shouldn't humans know better by now? Hell, shouldn't _hunters_ know better? Never trust a Demon.

* * *

Dean snarled furiously at the Demon currently possessing his grandfather. He thought talking to Samuel about the yellow-eyed Demon and Mary would help him gain more help in killing the bastard. As it turns out, said bastard was possessing the man the whole time and now knew Dean was from the future! Damnit. So much for that idea. Now what? Dean couldn't move, having been thrown against the wall. The Demon stared at him curiously, a smirk on his face.

"Future boy, huh? I only know one thing that's got the juice to swing something like that. You must have friends in high places. So, I kill your Mommy? That's why you came all this way? To see little old me?"

"Oh, I came here to kill you."

"Hey, wait a minute, if that slut Mary's your Mommy, are you... are you one of my psychic kids?" He leaned in closer and sniffed. "No, not you. Maybe you got a sis, or a bro. That's terrific, means it all worked out. After all, it's why I'm here."

Realization dawned on Dean. "So that's what this is about, these deals you're making. You don't want these people's souls."

"No, I just want their children. I'm here to choose the perfect parents, like your Mommy."

Dean hissed. "You stay the hell away from her! Why her? Why any of them?"

"Because they're strong."

Neither noticed Deanna peer around the corner.

"They're pure, and they eat their Wheaties. My own little master race - they're ideal breeders," he explained. Dean's eyebrows furrowed and he tried to move away but couldn't. The Demon seemed to notice where his thoughts had gone and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. No one's breeding with me. Though, Mary? Man, I'd like to make an exception. So far, she's my favorite."

Dean stiffened. "So why make the deals?" Maybe if he kept the Demon talking he could find a way out...and kill the bastard.

"I need their permission." He replied simply. _Permission? Since when Demons need permission. Scratch that, since when do Demons care about permission?_ Deanna moved quietly around the room, eyes on her husband and Dean as she listened. "I need to be invited, into their houses, I know, I know, the red tape'll drive you nuts, but in ten short years, it'll all be worth it. Cause you know what I'm gonna do to your sibling? I'm gonna stand over their crib and I'm gonna bleed into their mouth. Demon blood is better than Ovaltine, vitamins, minerals. It makes you big and strong."

"For what? So they can lead your discount Demon army? Is that your big plan?" Dean spat out in disgust.

The Demon snorted. "Please, my end game's a hell of a lot bigger than that, kid."

"End game? What end game?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you, or those _Angels_ sitting on your shoulder. Nahh, I'm gonna cover my tracks good."

"You can cover whatever the hell you want, but I'm still gonna kill you." Dean sneered in satisfaction.

The Demon paused. "Right. Now that, I'd like to see."

But even Dean could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "Maybe not today, but you look into my eyes, you son of a bitch, cause I'm the one that kills you."

"So, you're gonna save everybody, is that right? Is that it? Well, I'll tell you one person that you're not gonna save." He pulled out a knife and sneered at the hunter. "Your Grandpappy."

"No!" Dean cried.

"No!" Deanna yelled, revealing herself to them in her horror.

But it was too late. The knife plunged into Samuel's chest. But the Demon wasn't yet done and went after Deanna next. The Demon threw the poor woman across the kitchen and broke her neck as Dean struggled to get free. He grabbed the colt and ran into the kitchen, stopping in horror at the sight of Deanna's dead body and no sign of the Demon. His eyes widened in horror as he realized something. " _Mary,"_ he breathed and ran out of the house.

* * *

Dean was horrified to arrive just in time to see Mary kissing Samuel, effectively sealing the deal he knew would eventually kill her. "No!" He screamed. The Demon turned and winked before smoking out. Dean's shoulders sagged in defeat as a now alive John comforts a sobbing Mary. He stood there not noticing Castiel standing behind him, a look of sympathy on his face as he stared at Dean for a second before finally placing a tentive hand on his shoulder, catching Dean's attention. When Mary looked up, Dean was gone.

* * *

Dean woke up in his bed with a gasp. He sat up and turned to Castiel, who stood with his back to him near the bed. "I couldn't stop any of it. She still made the deal. She still died in the nursery, didn't she?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You couldn't have stopped it."

Dean's eyes narrowed almost angrily. He was furious! "What? Then why the hell did you send me back, huh? Why send me back to watch my mom make the deal that kills her and see her entire family dead?!"

"For the truth. Now you know everything we do. Destiny can't be changed, Dean. All roads lead to the same destination."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dean snarled, losing his temper. On the bed near them, Rosalie stirred. Castiel didn't answer but turned his gaze to Sam's empty bed. "Where's Sam?"

"We know what Azazel did to your brother. What we don't know is why – what his endgame is. He went to great lengths to cover that up."

"Where. Is. Sam?"

"425 Waterman." He answered. Dean nodded and went to wake up Rosalie. The Angels next words made him freeze. "Your brother is headed down a dangerous road, Dean, and we're not sure where it leads." He turned his head to look at Dean, his voice turning serious with a dark promise. "So stop it. Or we will."

The implication was clear as he vanished. Dean grabbed his coat and shook Rosalie awake. She yawned. "What's up?"

"C'mon. We need to find Sam. Quickly."

Rosalie frowned in confusion but followed him anyway. Did she miss something?


	5. Chapter 5: Hairy Halloween

**This chapter is about Rosalie trick or treating and Halloween. We already know how this Ep went on the show so I thought I'd do something a little bit different and explore hunters actually trick or treating. Might add Sam and Dean still talking to the Angels and Sam's first meeting with Castiel. Wasn't too keen on this ep really. Didn't like Uriel, didn't like what Cas said to Sam and thought it could have been better but oh well.**

* * *

It was officially Halloween and one of Rosalie's favorite holidays of the year besides Christmas. After Dean and Rosalie caught Sam with Ruby torturing another Demon using his powers thanks to Castiel, they'd been beyond furious and disappointed he'd lied to them about everything and an argument took place back at the motel. Thankfully, after the furious argument which turned physical and a hunt that involved a man they'd to put down because he couldn't control himself, Sam seemed to learn the error of his ways and decided to stop using his powers, much to their relief and now they were back to normal hunts. Thank God. Rosalie hated it when her family fought with each other especially because of some disgusting Hellspawn that _should_ have been dead but unfortunately wasn't. She eagerly pulled out her face paint set and a mirror. Both Sam and Dean had agreed long ago that she would take one day out of the year where she would not hunt under any circumstances. It was their way of giving her somewhat of a normal life or so. A compromise if you will. Rosalie of course, had chosen Halloween as that day and she hadn't ever regretted it. Rosalie wondered about the motel room and pulled out a plain, white dress that stopped just above the knees. She had a costume but had second guessed at the last moment whether to actually wear it or not. It was an Angel costume after all. She only half listened as Sam and Dean discussed their current case.

"...Well, we're on a witch hunt, that's for sure, but this isn't your typical hex bag." Sam was saying.

"Hmm, no?" Dean asked through a mouthful of candy.

 _"Really,_ Dean? After that guy choked down all those razor blades?"

"It's Halloween, man." Dean defended.

"Whatever. Anyway, Goldthread - that's a herb that's been extinct for two hundred years. And this is Celtic, and I don't mean some new age knock-off. It looks like the real deal, like 600 years old real deal." Rosalie hummed as she dumped her make up on the bed and pulled out her hair straighteners and some dark spray made for this occasion. The color was black. She brushed her hair, being careful not to tug hard on any knots and plugged the straighteners into the wall. "...And that's, um, the charred metacarpal bone of a newborn baby."

"Oh, gross!" Dean exclaimed, dropping whatever he had been holding.

"Relax man, it's like, at least a hundred years old."

"Oh, right, like that makes it better? Witches, man, they're so friggin' skevvy." Dean complained.

"Stop arguing you two," Rosalie murmured, picking up a piece of hair and running the straighteners through.

"We're not arguing," Dean protested.

"Not yet." She snorted.

"Whatever. It takes a pretty powerful one to put a bag like this together. More juice than we've ever dealt with, that's for sure. What about you? Find anything on the victim?"

"This Luke Wallace? He was so vanilla that he made vanilla seem spicy."

"...Wow."

"I know right? I can't find any reason why somebody would want this guy dead."

* * *

While Sam and Dean went out to question more people about yet another victim, Rosalie undressed and dumped the clothes she'd been wearing onto the bed and put the dress on. Laughter outside her window made her realize she still needed a few things from the store. She made sure to lock the door so no one could get in while she was gone and grabbed her two Sai blades...just in case. She kept them hidden in her sleeves of her dress. The shops were only five minutes away from the room which she considered a bonus. Rosalie scoured the shelves carefully, picking up the things she needed to finish her costume and some candy because she was having some cravings. She dumped the stuff on the conveyer belt and paid for them then left.

Something was wrong when she got back to their room. She could feel it. She stopped and pulled the motel key out from her bra and unlocked the door. It was at times like these she was extremely grateful she was a girl. Her dress didn't have pockets unfortunately, so she stuffed the key in the only other safe place she could think of. Her bra. She knew the other two wouldn't be happy to find she lost they key after all. She stepped in and closed the door and turned around. She was startled to see two men she didn't recognize in the room. One was sitting on her bed, the cheek! And the other was standing by the window. The one sitting on her bed wore a beige trench coat. She couldn't see his face because his back was to her. The other man also had his back to her. He wore a suit and had dark skin. _What the hell?_ They hadn't seen her yet and that was a good thing. There was no way in hell she wasn't going to use that to her advantage. She flicked both wrists, the Sai blades falling into both of her palms and flipped them expertly before raising one hand into the air, aiming it at one of them and pulling her arm back, extending it and throwing it in the air. The blade flew threw the air but to her horror, it stopped just before hitting the one in the trench coat in the back of the head. _Oh shit! What the fuck were they?!_ The man she'd tried to attack stood up abruptly causing her to freeze in place and without even looking at her said, "We've been waiting for you." She realized in that moment, they'd known she was there. The blade dropped onto the bed without being touched.

The man's voice was deep and gravelly and Rosalie even went so far as to call it _sexy._ From what she could tell, his hair stuck up like he'd just rolled out of bed after having hot sex. Not that she would know, still being a virgin and all that. She blushed at this, hoping he hadn't noticed. Her eyes widened as he turned around to face her. The man stared at her but didn't try to get any closer to her. Alarm bells went off in her mind and she instantly began searching ways to get out without getting too hurt. It seemed the man noticed her hesitance because he stepped forward only to stop when she took an involuntary step back. Training kicked in and she took a few running steps and doing a cartwheel which turned into a few backflips. She twisted around, holding the only blade she had left in her hand and held it up to trench coats neck, a dark look on her face. Neither seemed fazed by the obvious threat she was issuing to them which only served to piss her off more. "Who are you?!"

"Castiel," the one she held the blade against, answered her. He stood there gazing at her calmly as if she weren't holding a blade against his neck.

Rosalie's eyes narrowed in thought. Castiel? _Castiel! The Angel who'd resurrected Dean! This was him._ She slowly lowered her hand with the blade but didn't let go of it. She was still wary but not as much as she was a few minutes ago. "Castiel, huh? You're the one who brought Dean back, yeah?" Castiel nodded confirmation, a small but pleased smile on his face that she at least, acknowledged what he'd done in a positive way. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

She rolled her eyes. She got that part, did he have to keep repeating himself? "Getting that. But _why?"_

"Because we need to talk," he said, his tone serious.

Her eyes flickered to the other man. "About what?" She huffed in annoyance when she got no answer and figured since she'd established they weren't a threat to her, went back to her costume. If it were that important they would have said something by now. She ran her purple brush through her hair and tied it up in a high pony tail so she could put the face paint on. She started with the white on her face. She mixed the white with a little blue to give off a cold corpse kind of look. She didn't notice Castiel watching her quizzically. Her arms were next then her legs and neck. Next she added a bluey-purple tinge to her lips to give the affect of being either having been out in the cold for a while. She smiled in the mirror in satisfaction. She then took a small make up brush and dipped it into the blue and ran it over her skin. The idea was to make it look like her veins were showing. She took her hair out of the hairband and grabbed a can of black hairspray, shaking it well and aiming it away from her eyes and face while spraying onto her hair. Wouldn't do to get black hairspray on her face and ruin her make up, would it? She coughed but didn't stop spraying until her hair was completely dark. Now that her hair was dark and not white, it made her look dead, especially with her now pure white skin. The only thing she had left to do was put her contacts in. The contacts were bigger than the pupil of the eye itself which could be dangerous if left in for too long but it was only going to be a little while. The color was a dark blue. "Huh, not bad," she murmured.

She jumped as a voice behind her asked, "What are you doing?" She turned to see Castiel standing behind, having almost forgotten they were there.

"What does it look like? I'm getting ready to go out. It's Halloween and I'm going trick or treating tonight."

"There's a seal that needs to be saved," the other Angel said, speaking up for the first time.

"Yeah? Tell Sam and Dean. They should be back soon. They're the ones doing the case, not me," she replied simply.

The dark skinned Angel finally turned around and Rosalie instantly felt on guard. Something felt wrong about him and she didn't like the way he looked at her - like he was disgusted or something. Her skin crawled as he sneered at her, eyes narrowed in contempt. _What the hell was his problem?_ She paused but shrugged it off. She wasn't about to let an Angels attitude ruin her night. She was going to have some fun. "I'm sure whatever you were planning to do in your spare time can wait." Rosalie gritted her teeth in anger. She didn't like his condescending tone when he spoke to her. There was no need for it. "The seal is much more important. Even a hairless ape like you must know that."

Rosalie gaped at him in shock. _"Excuse_ me?" How dare he?! What gave him the right to talk down to her like that? Arrogant bastard! She regarded him coolly for a few moments before replying. "Am I supposed to be impressed by your bitchy attitude or something? Cause if so, then you got the wrong person. I wasn't aware Angels were a bunch of rude bastards, not to mention arrogant," she snapped harshly in disgust. The Angel glared at her with a look that she was sure would have made others cower before him but she was Rosalie Winchester and Winchesters didn't cower from anyone. She was too busy giving the Angel her own hateful glare that she hardly noticed the look Castiel was giving her. It was a look of approval. He approved of the way she was sticking up for herself as not many would. He himself didn't like the way Uriel was talking to her and he certainly didn't agree with his attitude either. He was aware his...partner loathed humanity as many other Angels did but he didn't understand why. He thought about the senseless wars, the fighting, the killing and the sins of humanity but he also thought about the love, compassion and forgiveness they each had within themselves and that was enough to overlook the bad. To him anyway. To Uriel and the others though, he knew was a different story.

Uriel scoffed dismissively at Rosalie. "Humans...don't know why He created you. Nothing more than mud-monkeys on two legs walking around. If I had it my way, you and your worthless excuse of a race would be obliterated already. Hardly worth the time or effort we put into all this really. After all, you're just an obligation to us." He snarled bitterly.

Castiel, who'd moved away a little, was bewildered by Uriel's open bitterness and lack of respect especially in front of a superior and went to open his mouth to order him to stop when Rosalie beat him to it. "Well it's no wonder why. Maybe you're not meant to think, don't wanna do too much damage to your poor little brain now, do we? Wouldn't be surprised if that's what's stopping you from understanding anything in the first place. Is that your opinion as a self-righteous, arrogant asshole? Who the hell gave you the right to judge others, hmm? Last time I checked, you were just an Angel - NOT God himself. What's your problem anyway? Woke up on the wrong side of the cloud this morning? Daddy didn't give you enough love or hugs?...Mommy ditch your useless ass? Lemme guess, you're bitter cause we're his new favorite and you're jealous. Hmm, you DO seem the type to throw a strop if you can't get what you want." She taunted back, smirking.

Uriel growled, taking a threatening step towards her but Castiel's arm shot out in front of him, barring him from getting any closer, a dark look in his normally serene blue eyes as he glared hard at Uriel. "That's enough, Uriel. you will not lay one hand on the girl."

Uriel's nose turned up at the order but stepped back nethertheless. Rosalie just ignored it and turned to the only Angel she decided she liked. Her eyes drove up and down his form as she sized him up carefully. She took a deep breath and wondered whether she should continue with what she was doing or whether she should press for more info on the matter. In the end, Castiel chose for her and held out his hand gesturing her to finish. "Please, continue with what you were doing." Rosalie eyed him cautiously but gave in when she saw no hint of coldness in him and went back her costume. Castiel turned to the other Angel and spoke with authority in his voice, "Go, Uriel. Return when the other two Winchesters have come back."

The other Angel said nothing more and vanished, leaving only the two of them behind. Without looking up, Rosalie murmured, "Hmm, ya know, I think I actually like you."

"Thank you."

She jumped when she heard his voice next to her. She whirled around to face him to see him standing right behind her. She shivered at this. She lit up as an idea came to her. "Can you make people bleed with your powers?"

He tilted his head, not having expected a question like that. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

"Okay, can you make a person bleed _without_ them actually feeling any pain?"

Castiel hesitated. "I could," he replied slowly. "But why would I?"

"I don't have any fake blood for my costume and don't exactly wanna go around cutting myself. So I was wondering if you could make me bleed in certain areas without causing any pain."

Castiel looked thoughtful. "I could try but I don't want to hurt you."

Rosalie smiled at him and Castiel found himself staring at her. "Okay, I'll point to the areas and you do whatever it is you do, kay?"

Castiel nodded. "Very well."

Rosalie pointed to her knee, the blue eyed Angel gently lifted up her leg and pressed a warm hand on it. She watched in fascination as blood began to appear. She dropped her leg and watched as the blood trickled downwards and grinned widely. Next, she pointed to her stomach. "Can you make it look like I just got stabbed a few times or something?"

"I don't understand why you want me to do this," he murmured but he did as she requested anyway.

"It's _Halloween_. Everyone dresses up in costumes with fake blood so they can get candy." A huge red stain slowly covered her stomach. "Cool, thanks. Okay, can you make bruises appear as well?" Another short nod. She held out both wrists for him to take. When he was done, there were dark bruises left. "And here," she pointed to the top of her head where her side parting started. She could feel the warm blood trickled down her face. "And here," she said, covering her ears lightly. She let out a tiny giggle when his warm hands covered her ears. She pointed to her nose, mouth and eyes. Rosalie wanted the full effects and when Castiel was done, she was more than happy with the result and without realizing what she was doing, leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she smiled.

Castiel blinked and stared at her intently. "You are welcome." Rosalie picked up her small pumpkin bucket and headed to the door, turning her head to give him one last smile and a wave before leaving the room. Castiel stared after her, facinated. He sighed and went to sit back on the bed once more.

* * *

The Winchesters were _not_ happy. The case was confusing to say the least. Both were tired and a little cranky as the car pulled into the motel car park. Sam was the first to get to the door and he bent down, lifting a pot to reveal the room key Rosalie had left behind. The younger Winchester was shocked to see an unfamiliar person sitting on his sister's bed and drew his gun, pointing it at him as he stormed inside. "Who are you?!"

Frantic footsteps followed behind and stopped when he saw who it was. "Woah, Sam. Stop. It's Castiel, the Angel I was telling you about." Dean did a double take when he spotted the other Angel. "Him, I don't know."

But Sam wasn't listening anymore, his attention was focused completely on Castiel, who stood up once more and turned around. "Hello, Sam."

"Oh my God. I mean, I...I've heard a lot about you," he stuttered. He mentally scolded himself for sounding like a schoolboy with a crush and eagerly thrust out a hand.

Castiel looked down at the hand for a few moments, unsure of what to do. He glanced at Dean who nodded at Sam's hand and he reached out with his own two hands to cover Sam's single one. "And I, you, Sam Winchester. The boy with the Demon blood. Glad to see you've ceased your extracurricular activities."

Sam's smile faded at as soon as Castiel mentioned Demon blood. His face heated up in embarrassment and the urge to snatch his hand away was strong. Was that all they thought of him? Well, that hurt. Castiel's face remained serious as he regarded him.

"Let's keep it that way," the other Angel said.

Dean's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Yeah, okay chuckles." He turned back to Castiel. "Who's your friend?"

Castiel ignored the question. "The raising of Samhain. Have you stopped it?"

Both stopped and glanced at each other. "Why?"

" _Dean,_ have you located the witch?"

"Yes, we have." He replied.

"And is the witch dead?"

"Well, no but-" Sam started.

"We know who it is," Dean finished.

Castiel sighed and walked over to the table. He picked something up and turned to show them. "Apparently the witch knows who you are two. This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or all three of you would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?"

Both horrified at the sight of the hex bags and tensed at the vague mention of Rosalie. "We're working on it."

"That's unfortunate." Castiel murmured.

"What do you care?" Dean finally snapped.

Castiel ignored Dean's snappy tone. "The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals."

Dean nodded in understanding. "So this is about your buddy, Lucifer."

"Lucifer is no friend of ours."

"It's just an expression."

"Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs."

"Okay, great, well now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home."

"We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, she's cloaked even our methods."

"Okay, well we already know who she is, so if we work together-"

"Enough of this!"

"Okay, who are you and why should I care?!" Dean demanded loudly. He was getting sick of Angels popping in and demanding things from them. They weren't slaves. He was getting sick of their attitude towards him and his siblings.

"This is Uriel, he's what you might call a…specialist." Castiel introduced. Uriel walked towards them, a cold glint in his eyes.

"What kind of specialist? What are you gonna do?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"You, uh, both of you - all of you need to leave this town immediately."

"Why?"

"Because we're about to destroy it."

"The hell you are! My sister's out there!" Dean snarled.

Castiel stiffened at this. "We're out of time. This witch has to die, the seal _must_ be saved."

"I don't give a crap about your seal. My sister is out there along with a thousand other innocents. You are not destroying this town."

"There are a thousand people here." Sam agreed, protesting.

"One thousand two hundred fourteen." Uriel corrected smugly.

"And you're willing to kill them all?"

"This isn't the first time I've… purified a city." Dean wanted nothing more than to punch the smug look off of his face.

"Look, I understand this is regrettable-"

Dean stared at him incredulously. _"Regrettable?"_

"We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already."

"So you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?!"

"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There's a bigger picture here."

Dean scoffed. "Right, cause you're bigger picture kind of guys."

"Lucifer _cannot_ rise. He does and Hell rises with him. Is that something that you're willing to risk?" Castiel stressed.

"That's not my problem. As far as I'm concerned it's your fault so many seals have broken. Why should innocents have to die because you can't do your job properly?" Dean spat.

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone. Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die."

Uriel waved a hand in dismissal. "We're wasting time with these mud monkeys."

"I'm sorry, but we have our orders."

"No, you can't do this. You're Angels, aren't you supposed to show mercy?"

Uriel grinned "Says who?"

"We have no choice."

"Bullshit! Of course you have a choice. What, you've never questioned a crappy order, huh? What, you both just a couple of hammers?"

"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan is just."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"How can you even say that?"

"Because it comes from Heaven, that makes it just."

Dean gave a cynical laugh and sneered at them. "Oh, it must be nice, to be so sure of yourselves."

Castiel looked at Dean, blue boring into green. "Tell me something, Dean. When your father gave you an order, didn't you obey?"

Dean scowled dangerously. _"Don't._ Don't even go there. What I did was different. My father wouldn't have sacrificed a whole town of people for one stupid seal. Looks like your plans have changed, boys."

"You think you can stop us?"

"Yeah, I do actually. See, if you're gonna smite this whole town then you're gonna have to smite us with it because we're not leaving. See, you went to the trouble of busting me out of Hell, I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs. So you wanna waste me go ahead. Let's see how he digs that."

Uriel growled. "I will drag you out of here myself," he threatened quietly.

"Yeah, but you'll have to kill me, then we're back to the same problem. I mean, come on, you're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch. Sounds to me like you're compensating for something. We can do this. We will find that witch and we will stop the summoning." Castiel was silent.

"Castiel! I will not let these peop-"

Castiel held up a hand, stopping Uriel from going any further. "Enough!" He stared hard at Dean. "I suggest you move quickly."

Dean nodded and left, Sam following close behind. "Well, are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you just gonna sit there fingering your bone?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Sam recognized what he was trying to do and went with it. "You know how much heat it would take to char a bone like this, Dean?"

"No."

"A lot, I mean, more than a fire or some kitchen oven." Sam answered thoughtfully.

"Okay, Betty Crocker, what does that mean?"

"It means we make a stop."

* * *

Nearby in a park, Uriel sat on a bench, Castiel stood next to him. "The decision's been made."

Uriel laughed bitterly. "By a mud monkey."

"You shouldn't call them that." There was a heavy disapproval in his tone but Uriel ignored it.

"Ah, it's what they are, savages, just plumbing on two legs."

Castiel turned his head to look at him. "You're close to blasphemy," he warned. He pulled his coat down and sat on the bench, his hands resting under his chin. "There's a reason we were sent to save him. He has potential, he may succeed here. And any rate, it's out of our hands."

"It doesn't have to be." Uriel answered cryptically.

"And what would you suggest?"

"That we drag Dean Winchester out of here and then we blow this insignificant pinprick off the map."

"You know our true orders. Are you prepared to disobey?"

Uriel just stared at him. Castiel didn't move as he vanished without another word. His thoughts turned to Dean and his previous words about questioning orders, Uriel's disdain towards the human race and Rosalie...the girl was interesting to say the least. Although he hadn't yet spent much time with her, he was still facinated by her. The idea of destroying a town with her in it made him more than uncomfortable. A bunch of kids ran past laughing and giggling. With a flutter of wings, he vanished without a trace.

* * *

Rosalie crossed the road and knocked eagerly on the door. It was getting late and she'd already got a lot of candy. The door open to reveal an old couple. They smiled at her and moved behind the door to pick up a glass bowl of sweets. "Trick or treat," she smiled sweetly.

"Ohh, scary."

Rosalie giggled shyly. "I hope so."

They dropped a bunch of the sweets into her bucket. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Happy Halloween."

"Happy Halloween!" She called back happily. She skipped down the street and turned the corner. "Oof," she grunted as she crashed into something. Her bucket fell on her lap and she fell backwards. She looked up to see a man peering down at her. His gaze made her shiver and not in a good way. Immediately, her guard went up and she waited to see what he would do next. Her heart raced and she stiffened when his eyes turned black. Demon. Damnit. "Winchester," he spat.

So he knew who she was. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad but she got to her feet quickly, a dark look on her normally calm face. "Demon." The Demon flung out a hand and she cried out as she was thrown against a wall. Faster than she expected, the Demon wrapped a hand around her neck and began choking her. She tried to kick him but he pressed his body against hers so she couldn't move. She gasped desperately for air, her hands struggling to pull his hands off of her. Her vision turned dark and black spots appeared, panicked her. In a last act of desperation, she called out to the one being she hoped would answer. "Ughh, Casti...Castiel! Ughh!"

The Demon grinned maliciously as her grip weakened. A flutter of wings behind him caught the attention of the Demon and he turned around only to shriek in agony when the Angel placed a palm on his forehead. The Demons dead body fell to the ground as did Rosalie. She coughed violently on her hands and knees, face red and a hand on her throat. A pair of shoes appeared in her line of sight and she looked up to see Castiel looking back at her in concern. He held out a hand for her to take and pulled her up. "Are you okay?" He asked. She nodded gratefully, awe on her face as she really took him in. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

She shook her head quickly. "No, it's fine. Thank you for stepping in. I owe you for that." The lightheaded feeling was going away.

"You're welcome," he stated.

Rosalie's eyes softened. She walked past him to pick up her discarded bucket. Putting the sweets back in, she walked back to where he was still standing. "Hold on a sec. I can give you something." She rummaged through the bucket picking up certain sweets. When she had two small handfuls, she got off her knee and held out her hands to him. He looked at her hands then her face in confusion. "Take 'em. I've got loads and I bet you've never tried 'em. I don't mind sharing with my friend," she added shyly.

Castiel softened at her words. "I'm an Angel, I don't need to eat."

She tilted her head. "Don't need to," she repeated. "Don't need to...doesn't mean you can't. When you feel like trying them they'll be in your pocket, okay?" He watched silently as the sweets spilled into his coat pocket. He didn't expect for her to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek after. _Again._ "Thank you." She let go and turned to walk away.

"What a peculiar thing you are," his murmured to himself. Satisfied she was okay, he left the scene and returned to Heaven.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sam and Dean quietly made their way into the room. Tracy sat tied up and gagged. Her cries were muffled as she struggled to get free. Don stood in front of an alter and chanted. He picked up a knife and a chalice from the table and walked over to her. He ran the tip of the knife down her neck, not drawing blood, but staring at her. Her eyes widened in terror as he rose the knife above his head to stab her, only to get shot from behind. Dean ran over to free Tracy while Sam checked the body. "Thank you, he was gonna kill me! Ugh, that sick son of a bitch. I mean, did you see what he was doing? Did you hear him? How sloppy his incantation was?" They froze at her words. "My brother-" Dean groaned as he realized what was happening. They drew their guns and pointed them at her but she was faster. "Always was a little dim." She threw up her hands and chanted. They grunted in pain. "He was gonna make me the final sacrifice, his idea, but now, that honor goes to him. Our master's return? The spellwork's a two man job you understand, so for six hundred years I had to deal with that pompous son of a bitch. Planning, preparing...unbearable." She knelt down by Don and picked up both the knife and chalice. "The whole time I wanted to rip his face off. And you get him with a gun, uh, love that. You know, back in the day, this was the one day you kept your children inside. Well tonight you'll all see what Halloween _really_ is." Sam and Dean writhed on the floor as she began to chant once more.

Still clutching his stomach in pain, Sam crawled over to Don's body and put his hand in the blood. Dean watched in disgust as he smeared the blood over his face. "What are you doing?"

"Just follow my lead." He dipped his hand back into the blood and smeared it across Dean's face. Cracks appeared in the ground as she finished the incantation and black smoke poured out and into Don's corpse. The hunters were surprised to see his eyes turn white except the pupil which stayed black. They laid as still as they could, their pain fading away. Samhain rose off of the floor. His vision was blurry but he could still see the blonde. He walked over to her and she turned to him, smiling. He bent down and kissed her. "My love," she cooed.

"You've aged."

"This face…I can't fool you."

"Your beauty is beyond time." He leaned in and rested their foreheads together. Before anyone could react, he suddenly grabbed her chin and snapped her neck sideways. Her body fell with a loud thump. "Whore." The Demon sniffed the air and turned to look at Sam and Dean. With his vision still blurry and the boys still and covered in blood, it was easy to think they were dead.

When he left, Dean rounded on Sam. "What the hell was that?"

Sam shrugged. "Halloween lore. People used to wear masks to hide from him, so I gave it a shot."

"You gave it a shot?!"

"Let's just go."

* * *

Dean sat on the bench in the park. Kids we laughing and playing. He sighed and looked down, the days events playing out in his mind. Not only did they fail to stop the summoning of Samhain, the Demon managed to do a little summoning of his own before Sam managed to put him down using his powers. The seal was broken and they were one step closer to the end. A quick look to his side left him feeling annoyed. "Lemme guess, you're here for the 'I told you so?' Well, I'm not interested so don't bother."

"I'm not here for that," Castiel replied calmly.

"Then what _are_ you here for?"

"Our orders-"

"Yeah, I've had just about enough of these orders of yours," he interrupted.

"Our orders were not to stop the summoning of Samhain. They were to do whatever you told us to do," he admitted.

Dean was stunned. "Wait, your orders were to follow _my_ orders?"

Castiel nodded. "It was a test. To see how you would perform under, battlefield conditions you might say."

"It was a witch. Not that tet offensive." Castiel chuckled quietly. "So I er, failed your test, huh? I get it. But do you know what? You wanna wave that magic time travelling wand of yours and do it all over again, I'd make the same call." Castiel nodded as he listened. "See, I dunno what's gonna happen with all those seals and crap, hell, I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow but what I do know is this here, these kids, the swings, trees all of it, it's still here because of my brother and me."

"You misunderstand me, Dean, I'm not like you think. I was praying you would choose to save the town."

"You were?" Dean asked skeptically.

Castiel leant forward. "These people, they're all my father's creations. They're works of art. And yet, even though you stopped Samhain, the seal was broken and we are one step closer to hell on Earth for all of creation and that's _not_ an expression, Dean. It's literal. You of all people should appreciate what that means." Dean could agree with that. He knew better than anyone what Hell was like. "Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell another soul?"

"Okay."

"I'm not, ah, hammer as you say. I have questions, I have doubts. I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore, whether you passed or failed here but in the coming months you will have more decisions to make. I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, Dean. I truly don't. Tell your sister I said thank you." Dean's head snapped to the side but he was already gone. The Angels words about the future left him nervous. He just hoped everything would turn out right in the end.

* * *

 **Cas - 5'11, works best with Angel powers and blades**

 **Sam - 6'4, works best with guns and knowledge (incantations)**

 **Dean - 6'1, works best with guns and knives**

 **Rose (Emilia Clarke) - 5'5 and a half, works best with knives and swords when fighting but knows hand to hand combat**

 **Rose's likes/dislikes: people who ask stupid questions, selfish people who have no regard for others, Demons and other monsters who hurt people, coffee, cake, chocolate, cats, arrogant people, bullies, betrayal, sitting in a car without her coat, jealousy and pettiness, someone trying to ruin her relationship with someone she's close to, i.e. Sam with Ruby and Cas with Hannah etc**

 **Cas' likes/dislikes: Demons, humans, The Winchesters, killing his siblings, making the wrong decisions, trusting the wrong people, betraying those he considers friends/family etc**

 **Dean's likes/dislikes: Demons, pie, betrayal, his car, anyone who messes with his car, sex, looking after others and feeling needed** **etc**

 **Sam's likes/dislikes: Being deceived (tricked) by someone he trusts, trusting the wrong people, making the wrong decisions, hurting those he loves etc**

 **There will be a few episodes I didn't like so will not be writing them out. A lot of the Angels on the show I didn't like. In my opinion they were just as bad as**


	6. Chapter 6: Unwanted help

In a quiet hospital room, a 23 year old woman with flaming red hair that went past her shoulders and stopped above her breasts sat on the bed, head tilted as if she were listening intently to something only she could hear. Another woman sat opposite her, watching her carefully. "Anna? Do you know where you are? You're at the Connor Beverly Behavioral Medicine Center." Upon her words, Anna touched her wrist and played with the band on her wrist. "Do you know why you're here?" Anna shrugged. "Do you remember what you did?" Anna nodded. She wasn't stupid or crazy, she knew what she'd done but she also knew there would be no point in arguing. People didn't understand until the proof hit them in the face. "You were hysterical. It took four people to restrain you."

"I was trying to warn them." Although she understood why her situation was treated the way it was that didn't mean she was happy about it.

"Warn who?"

Anna just rolled her eyes, in no mood to humour the woman. Why couldn't she just leave already? "Everyone. Forget it. It was stupid."

"What were you trying to warn them about?"

"Look... I get it. You think I'm nuts. If I were you, I'd think I was nuts. But it's all true."

The psychologist gave a pitying smile and Anna despised it. "It's okay. You can tell me. I'm here to listen."

"The end...is coming. The Apocalypse."

"The Apocalypse. Like in the Bible?"

"Kind of. Same bottom line. This Demon, Lilith, is trying to break the 66 seals to free Lucifer from Hell. Lucifer will bring the Apocalypse. So...smoke 'em if you got 'em." The woman scribbled in her notebook. Whispering caught Anna's attention and she went back to listening.

"Anna?"

Anna shook herself out of her trance. "Sorry."

"What were you doing?" The psychologist asked curiously.

"Nothing. Just listening."

"So, you were saying that there are, uh, 66 of these seals in the world?"

"No. No. There are about 600 possible seals and Lilith only has to break 66 of them and no one knows which 66 she's gonna break." She explained desperately. "That's why it's nearly impossible to stop her. And that's why the Angels are losing. That's why we're all gonna die." Anna finished in a bit of a panic.

* * *

Later on, Anna sat next to her bed, frantically sketching in her notebook. An attendant entered the room with a small tray. "Time for your meds, Anna. Anna?" Anna turned around, horror on her face as she stared at him. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Your face! Oh my God, what happened to your face?!" She cried in terror. The man's face was twisted and dark and horrible.

"I know," he smirked and blinked, his eyes turning black. "I'm downright kissable. Shh." He moved towards her. Instinctively, she pressed herself back against the wall in terror. A huge chest of draws were placed near the door. Her eyes frantically moved from them to him. The Demon stopped when the chest began to shake. He snarled at her and lunged at her. She shrieked in fear and the chest slammed into him, knocking him out cold. Using this to her advantage, Anna escaped from the room and out of the building.

* * *

The Winchesters were at a bar celebrating their latest hunt. Sam, pretending to be more drunk than what he actually was, stood with a few men trying to hussle them out of more money. Dean stood nearby watching them while Rosalie sat in a corner sipping her coke. "Brian, come on, man, just one more. Just - just give me a chance to win it back."

"It's your cash."

This was when Dean decided to intervene. "Excuse me. My brother's a little sauced to be making bets."

"He insisted."

"Yeah, but you've already taken, what, two bills off him? I'm just saying."

"Hey, shut up, Dean. I'm fine." Sam muttered.

Dean wasn't happy. "No, you're not fine. You're drunk!"

"Let's make it five hundred."

"Five hundred?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Sure," Brian replied eagerly. "Five hundred. Your break."

When Brian looked down, Sam looked at Dean with a small grin. There was no trace of drunkenness at all. Dean raised his eyebrows at Sam. Sam used this opportunity to sink in several balls. He stopped when he caught sight of Ruby.

"Keep the money." He told them distantly and walked off.

Dean gaped as he walked away. "Keep the money? What...?" After a moment, he followed him as did Rosalie.

Ruby stood nearby, clearly waiting for them. "Hey."

Dean scowled and sneered. "Well, you got a lot of nerve showing up anywhere near me."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I just have some info and then I'm gone."

"What is it?" Sam asked eagerly. A little too eagerly for his siblings liking.

"I'm hearing a few whispers-" 1she started.

"Ooh, great, demon whisperers. That's reliable."

Ruby continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "Girl named Anna Milton escaped from a locked ward yesterday. The Demons seem pretty keen on finding her. Apparently, some real heavy hitters turned out for the Easter-egg hunt."

"Why? Who is she?"

"No idea. But I'm thinking that she's important cause the order is to capture her alive." They stiffened. Demons only ever really needed someone alive for information. "I just figured that whatever the deal is, you might want to find this girl before the Demons do."

"Look, maybe we should check it out." Dam turned to them, a pleading look on his face.

But Dean wasn't buying it and fumbled for an excuse. Ruby was a Demon. Demons caused pain and chaos wherever they went so why would he trust one? He didn't care what she was doing for Sam, it didn't change what she was. He'd be damned...again before he let his siblings fall into some trap or whatever simply because they made the mistake of trusting a Demon. "Actually, we're working a case, but thanks."

Obviously, Ruby didn't believe him judging by the way she was looking at him "What case?"

"Uh, we've got leads, big leads."

"Sounds dangerous," she mocked.

"Yeah, well, I sure ain't goose-chasing after some chick who, for all we know, doesn't even exist just because you say she's important."

Ruby held her hands up in semi submission. "I'm just delivering the news. You can do whatever you want with it. Far as I'm concerned, I told you, I'm done."

"Wait, wait, wait. This hospital Anna escaped from - it got a name?"

* * *

Sam, Dean and Rosalie sat in the car. Dean drove as Sam spoke on the phone and Rosalie listened to music in the backseat. "Can I get a copy of the missing persons report? Great. Okay. Thanks." Sam said and hung up the phone. "Well, Anna Milton's definitely real."

Dean shook his head. "So? Doesn't mean the case is real. And this hospital's a three-day drive."

"We've driven further for less, Dean." Sam pointed out. "You got something to say, say it."

Dean didn't bother to hold back. "Oh, I'm saying it. This sucks."

"You're not pissed we're going after the girl. You're pissed Ruby threw us the tip."

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Cause as far as you're concerned, that hell-bitch is practically family which, lemme tell you, she's not. Boy, something major must've happened while I downstairs cause I come back, and you're BFF with a Demon?"

"I told you, Dean, she helped me go after Lilith."

"Is that it? Cause truthfully, who cares if she helped you. Doesn't change what she is and doesn't change what she's done. Thanks for the thumbnail, real vivid. You want to fill in the rest?"

"Sure, Dean, let's trade stories. You first. How was Hell? Don't spare the details."

Dean snarled and gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going. If his brother wanted to be like that then fine.

* * *

"Of course I want to help however I can."

"Now, the orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Sam asked as they walked through the corridor to the hospital where Anna escaped from.

"Apparently, she knocked him unconscious. The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember coming into her room."

"That's a hell of a right hook to knock out a guy that's got 80 pounds on her." Dean commented lightly.

"We think she may have planned this, waited behind the door."

Rosalie felt anger boiling through her veins. Did this stupid psychologist _really_ believe Anna would able to do anything against a man like that? She decided to voice her opinions on the matter. "You being serious here? Do you _really_ think that Anna would be able to do anything to a man like him much less knock him out? Planning it? Wow, that's the most pitiful excuse I've ever heard. What the hell kinda place you running where the men can just walk into rooms anyway? Any security? Cameras? No? Typical. Can't believe you're actually defending him." The woman was taken aback by her outburst but Rosalie didn't care. It was true so why should she feel guilty for bringing it up? It was people like this woman who failed to meet the needs of her patients.

"Right. Uh, you mentioned Anna's illness was recent." Sam asked cautiously with a look that said _'calm down.'_

Still shocked by the outburst, she replied a little hesitantly. "Two months ago, she was happy, well-adjusted, journalism major, lots of friends, bright future."

"So, what happened? She just...flipped?" Dean asked skeptically.

The woman looked sad. "Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia. Within weeks, Anna was overtaken by delusions."

"What kind of delusions?"

"She thought Demons were everywhere." She handed them the notebook.

"Interesting." Dean muttered, flipping through it.

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real." She said quickly.

"Well, that-that's just batty."

"That's Revelations," Rosalie pointed out. Sketches were clear on each page, sketches they recognized. One said _'Rising of the Witnesses_ ' while another said ' _Samhain_. Another seal is broken.'

"Since when does the Book of Revelations have jack-o'-lanterns?"

"It's a, uh, it's a little-known translation."

"Well, Anna's father was a church deacon. When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the Devil was about to rise up and end the world. I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

* * *

With a little digging, they managed to find Anna's address. They drove quickly, hoping to make it in time. "Maybe they're not home."

"Both cars in the driveway."

They stepped into the house. "Mr and Mrs Milton?" Rosalie called almost nervously. There was no answer. The room was silent and to Rosalie, a little eerie.

Sam tried again. "We're from the sheriff's department. We just wanted to ask you a couple of ques...tions," he trailed off, spotting two dead bodies lying on the floor. Their throats were slit. "Damnit. Sulfur. The Demons beat us here. Whatever the deal is with this Anna girl-"

"Yeah, they want her. They're not screwing around. All right, so, I'm Girl Interrupted and I know the score of the Apocalypse, I just busted out of the nut-box and possibly using superpowers by the way. Where would I go?"

Sam picked up a photograph from the mantle and gestured to them. "Hey, you got those sketches from Anna's notebook?"

"Yeah."

"Let me see em. Check this out."

"She was drawing the window of her church."

"Over and over. If you were religious, scared, and had Demons on your ass where would you go to feel safe?" They nodded solemnly and ran back to the car. Whatever else happened, they HAD to get to Anna first.

* * *

Racing to the Church, the Winchesters pulled up and hurried into the church. They withdrew their weapons and entered the building. Inside was a statue and a coloured window. The same window in the sketches. A shadow could be seen moving behind it.

"Dean," Sam whispered and pointed to the shadow. "Anna? We're not gonna hurt you. We're here to help. My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean and my sister, Rosalie."

"Sam? Not Sam Winchester?" A soft voice called back.

"Uh, yeah."

A girl with red hair emerged from her hiding place and stepped out in front of them. She had hazel eyes and pale skin. She stepped forward. "And you're Dean. The Dean?"

"Well, yeah. The Dean, I guess."

"And that makes you Rosalie."

Rosalie nodded. "Yeah. How'd you know our names?"

"It's really you. Oh my God. The Angels talk about you. You were in Hell but Castiel pulled you out and some of them think you can help save us." She said to Dean then turned to Sam. "And some of them don't like you at all." Sam looked both uncomfortable and hurt. He now knew what they thought of him but hearing it again and from a different person stung. Anna didn't notice the rejected look on Sam's face, her attention on Rosalie. "And some of them don't know what to think or how to react to you. They talk about you all the time lately. I feel like I know you."

"So, you talk to Angels?"

"Oh, no. No, no way. Um, they probably don't even know I exist. I just kind of...overhear them." She explained.

"You...overhear them?"

"Yeah, they talk, and sometimes I just...hear them in my head." She tapped her head lightly.

Dean pulled a face. "Like...right now?"

"Not right this second, but a lot. And I can't shut them out, there are so many of them."

"So, they lock you up with a case of the crazies when really you were just...tuning in to Angel radio?"

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone who understood what she was going through. "Yes. Thank you."

"Anna, when did the voices start? Do you remember?"

"I can tell you exactly. September 18th."

"The day I got out of Hell." The siblings glanced at each other darkly.

"First words I heard, clear as a bell - Dean Winchester is saved."

"What do you think?"

"It's above my pay grade, man."

"I think we should get out of here," Rosalie said quietly.

"Well, at least now we know why the Demons want you so bad. They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side's cooking. You're 1-900-Angel."

"Hey, um, do you know...are my parents okay? I-I didn't go home. I was afraid."

Before anyone could say anything or break the news to the poor girl about her parents, they were interrupted by Ruby, who rushed into the room. "You got the girl. Good, let's go."

Anna staggered back. "Her face!" She shrieked.

"It's okay. She's here to help."

"Yeah, don't be so sure." Dean muttered.

"I'm with you on that," Rosalie murmured.

"We have to hurry!"

"Why?" Dean snapped. He couldn't help it, she was a Demon and he hated Demons with a fiery passion. They were the reason their parents were dead. The reason Sam's girlfriend died and the reason they were hunters in the first place.

"Because a Demon is coming, big-timer. We can fight later, Dean."

Dean chuckled humorlessly. "Well, that's pretty convenient. You showing up right when we find the girl with some bigwig on your tail."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "I didn't bring him here. _You_ did."

"What?" Dean snapped.

"He followed you from the girl's house. We got to go now!" Dean was about to open his mouth to tell her where to shove it when he felt a nudge and looked to see Sam staring at the status. Everyone paled as blood dripped down from the eyes as if it were crying.

"Dean."

"It's too late. He's here," Ruby whispered shakily.

Rosalie grabbed Anna by her arm and dragged her over to the closet. She pushed her in and said, "Stay in there. Don't move."

"Okay." Anna acquiesced, worry and concern in her gaze. _Concern for them,_ Rosalie realized. She closed the door and turned just in time to see Sam pull a metal flask with God knows what in it from his pocket.

"No, Sam, you got to pull him right away."

Dean held up his hands in disapproval. "Whoa, hold on a sec-"

"Now's not the time to belly-ache about Sam going darkside. He does his thing, he exorcises that Demon, or we die."

Rosalie gave the Demon a dark look. "I don't think so, bitch. And watch your mouth around us. My brother might wanna keep your ass around for whatever reason but we sure as hell don't have a problem getting rid of you."

If looks could kill, Rosalie would be dead. Sam put the flask back into his pocket and raised a hand to exorcise the Demon when he stepped into the room. Nothing happened. The Demon just laughed at him. "That tickles. You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." The Demon flung his own hand out and Sam was thrown down the stairs. Dean lunged at him with Ruby's knife but it soon became obvious he was no match for the Demon. Rosalie looked around desperately for anything she could use to distract him. "Hello again, Dean."

While the others were distracted, Ruby took the opportunity and darted for the closet door, yanking it open. Anna screamed. Ruby grabbed her and pulled her out. "Come on."

"Come on, Dean. Don't you recognize me? Oh, I forgot, I'm wearing a pediatrician. But we were so close...in Hell."

Dean's blood ran cold. "Alastair," he spat.

Rosalie picked up the knife and stabbed Alistair in the back. Again, nothing happened. What the hell?! Alistair turned to her. "You're gonna have to try a whole lot harder than that, _girl_."

Sam grabbed Dean and they turned to look at the window. An unspoken conversation between them and they each grabbed one of Rosalie's arms and ran at it. She shrieked in pain and slight fear as they landed with a harsh thud on the ground. "Ahh, that's gonna leave a mark," she moaned. They picked themselves up and ran just as Alistair stepped up to the window, watching them.

* * *

"Are you almost done?" Dean complained.

Sam finished sewing his wound up. Rosalie had an ice pack to her leg. "I'm going as fast as I can."

"Good, cause you know I got a dislocated shoulder over here." He picked up a bottle of whisky and took a long swig.

"Yeah. I'll pop it back when I'm finished. Gimme that."

"So, you lost the magic knife, huh?"

"Yeah, saving _your_ ass. Who the hell was that Demon?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

"Not a good one." Dean said, a little evasive. "We gotta find Anna."

Sam shrugged it off carelessly. "Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay. All right. Come on. On three. One..."

Rosalie stared at him in disgust. "Are you serious? Think real hard about what you just said right now."

"What?"

"You really don't care that our innocent happens to be in the clutches of a Demon right now? I don't care who she is."

Dean grunted. "You sure about Ruby? Cause I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that Demon in to kill us."

"No, she took Anna to keep her safe." Sam denied quickly.

Rosalie had had enough of his denial. It was time to set her brother straight. She got up and stalked angrily over to him. "What the hell is your problem?! You are aware of what she is right, or did you suddenly forget that? Anna's _gone_ and Ruby apparently has her and yet you shrug it off with such ease, as if it's nothing. You remember Mom? You remember Dad? You remember your girlfriend? Yeah, they all died! And what killed them? Demons! You have some serious mental issues if you think she's suddenly turned good just cause of you. She. Will. Never. Change. Not for you, not for anyone."

"She's not like that. She's different." There was a bite in his tone and he glowered at her.

"Yeah. Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?" Dean automatically defended his sister.

"Because that Demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna again. That's why he let us go." Sam argued.

"You call this letting us go?!" Dean demanded.

"Yeah, I do. Look, killing us would've been no problem to that thing. That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"Unbelievable. Well, you wanna trust that _skank_ then be my guest but I'm not and I never will cause I'm not stupid like you!" She snarled. She felt agitated that he failed to understand their point of view on the situation. He was too blind by Ruby.

Sam stood up. He was much taller than her and if she were anyone else, his size alone would have intimidated her. But she wasn't anyone else and she was pissed. "You know what? I'd rather be around her than around you. She's helping us and all you can do is judge her."

She gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to punch him in the face, not that he didn't deserve it, mind you. "Oh, can't think why. Oh, wait...yes I can. She's a fucking Demon!" She yelled aggressively.

"Okay, okay. That's enough. How's she gonna do that? Why do you trust her so much?"

"I told you!"

"Tell us again!"

"No. You got to do better than that. And I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I want to understand. But we need to know more. I mean, we deserve to know more."

"Because...she saved my life."

 _X - X_

 _Flashback:_

 _It was night when Sam finally entered his room. He was drunk and depressed. Dean was still dead and Lilith was still out there. Free to do it again to another family. No sooner had he entered, he was pinned to the wall by a man and a woman. The woman was blonde._ _She took Ruby's knife from him and held it up. "Thanks for keeping this warm for me, Sam."_

 _"Ruby."_

 _"It's nice to be back. Where I was, even for Hell, it was nasty. I guess I really pissed Lilith off. Imagine my relief when she gave me one last chance to take it topside. And all I had to do was find you and kill you." She held the end of the blade to his skin._

 _But Sam no longer cared and he leaned forward to press his skin against the blade. "Fine. Go ahead! Do it."_

 _Instead of stabbing him however, she turned to the left and stabbed the Demon next to her. "Grab your keys. We got to go. Now!"_ _Still dazed from what just happened, Sam had no choice but to follow her. They drove around for a while, Ruby in the passenger seat. "You know what sounds good? French fries. I'm starving. I just escaped Hell. I deserve a treat. You know, a thank you would be nice."_

 _"Who asked for your help?" He retorted._

 _"You have no idea what I've been through. When Lilith gets pissed, she gets creative. You want to hear about the corners of Hell I've seen, Sam?"_

 _"No, I don't." He didn't know and he didn't care._

 _"And the things I had to do to convince her I was sorry? That I could be trusted?"_

 _"Well, this'll definitely get you a fat Christmas bonus." Sam snorted bitterly._

 _"Very funny. I'm a fugitive...for you, Sam. I took all of this risk to get back to you, so, yeah, I deserve a damn thank you."_

 _"Who asked you to save me?" He cried in frustration._

 _"I'm just trying to help!"_

 _Sam paused. "Can you help me save Dean?"_

 _She gave him a pitying look. "No. Nothing I know of is powerful enough to do that."_

 _He stopped the car by the roadside. "Then I have no use for you."_

 _Ruby looked startled. "What?"_

 _"Get out."_

 _"Sam-"_

 _"Whose body are you riding, Ruby?"_

 _"What do you care? You've never asked me that before."_

 _"I'm asking now." He only regretted not asking before._

 _"Some secretary." The way she said it made it sound as if she didn't care. And she didn't, why should she? Her priority was Sam and what he could do for her._

 _"Let her go." He ordered calmly._

 _"Sam-"_

 _"Or I send you right back to Hell." He threatened._ _That did it. Black smoke poured out of the vessel and out the car. A few days later, Sam sat on the bed of an abandoned house. He looked up suspiciously at the door when he heard a knock and dropped the gun he was cleaning on the bed. He picked up a shotgun and opened the door. A brunette stood there, holding up a piece of paper in her hand._ _"Ruby?"_

 _"Proof. This body is 100% socially conscious. I recycle. Al Gore would be proud."_

 _"You grabbed a coma patient?"_

 _"You didn't want me to take a body with someone in it, and I made sure that the spirit was gone. Apartment was empty. You happy?"_

 _"Why are you here?"_

 _"I can't bring Dean back. But I can get you something else that you want."_

 _"And what's that?"_

 _"Lilith."_

 _"You want me to use my psychic whatever?"_

 _"Look, I know that it spooks you-"_

 _"Skip the speech. I'm ready. Let's go."_

 _"Slow down there, cowboy."_

 _"Just tell me what I have to do."_

 _"Look, Lilith is one scary bitch. When I was in the Pit, there was talk. She's cooking up something big. Apocalyptic big."_

 _"So, let's kill her."_

 _"You want to go in there and half-ass it like before? We have the time to get it right. Let's get it right."_

 _Sam took a deep breath. He knew deep down she was right. "Okay. What do you want from me?"_

 _"Well, a little patience...and sobriety, romise me that...and I will teach you everything I know."_

"So? What'd she teach you?"

Rosalie couldn't believe what she was hearing! The more she heard, the deeper her resentment for them both ran. He chose a Demon bitch over his own damn family? Her blood boiled and she wanted nothing more than to track Ruby down and end her. She'd caused enough damage in her opinion. One less Demon in the world was okay with her and she was sure Dean would agree with that.

"Well, the first thing I learned...I'm a crappy student."

X - X

 _Flashback:_

 _Sam circled the Demon in the Devils trap. Ruby watched silently as he tried and failed to exorcise the Demon. Smoke poured out of the vessel but the strain on Sam made it impossible to force him out completely and he watched in dismay as the smoke went back to its host._ _Rage filled him as the Demon openly laughed at him. The Demon wasn't laughing for long, as Ruby stabbed him with her knife._

 _"Not funny. Just give it time, Sam. It'll get better."_

 _"What? I need more practice?"_

 _"I'm not talking about pulling Demons. I know losing Dean was-"_

 _He cut her off sharply. "Hey! I don't want to talk about it. You know what? Where do you get off slapping me with that greeting-card, time-heals crap? What the hell do you know?"_

 _Her eyes softened. "I used to be human. And I still remember what it feels like to lose someone. I'm sorry." She put a hand on his shoulder and he moved away uncomfortably, her intentions clear._

 _"Uhn-huh. Don't. I can't."_

 _The rejection didn't seem to faze her. "Sam, you're not alone." She leaned in and kissed him._

 _He shoved her away in disgust and turned his back on her. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Sam, it's okay!" She soothed._

 _"No, that is anything but okay!"_

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"What's wrong? Where do I start?"_

 _"Is it because of the body? Because I told you, it's all me inside of here. There is no one else. And it's nice inside this body, Sam. Soft and warm." She crouched down to his height._

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Isn't it cause you're really scared to go there with a Demon? Because it's wrong and it's bad and we shouldn't?"_ _Sam gave in and grabbed her and pulled her to him. They kissed passionately before falling back onto the bed._

Rosalie looked at Sam in horror. Her brother had just admitted to having sex with a Demon. What. The. Fuck?! She wanted to leave the room to puke. He left his family for her, to fuck her?! Dean seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Too much information," he said flatly.

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean."

Rosalie jumped up. "Oh my God. Okay, you know what? I'm going out. I've heard enough and quite truthfully, I feel sickened. You seriously have no shame, do you? My God, do you know what you've done?! What part of Demon escapes your understanding? You are a hunter! Do you get that? Do you know what the word means? She is a Demon, a monster. We kill monsters and yes, that includes her! She is evil and it doesn't matter what way you string it or how much you defend her, it will never change those facts. We save people and kill things like her, not bed them like it's nothing. You know what you've done? By doing That, you turned your back on us. On your family. On hunters in general. You've betrayed us and every other hunter out there. So many have lost family and friends due to Demons and you've only gone and rubbed it in their faces! She is scum! How many people has she tortured or Killed? Or possessed? Hm? How many has she used or sacrificed? Loads. You turned your back on us, your family! How dare you for her?! How do you feel others would react if they knew that shit you've done? Think they'll understand? Or would they turn on you like you did us? You make me sick! I'm Warning you now, you carry on with this shit and you can consider yourself disowned, cause I'm not willing to work with a hunter who thinks working with Demons is okay cause it's not. It's not okay, it's really not. You need to think about where your loyalties lie. I don't know how you can justify all that. I'm outta here. I can't be in the same room as you right now!" And with that, she stormed out, missing the stunned looks on their faces.

Stepping out into the cold air, she felt weighed down by the burden of Sam's choices. He'd abandoned them and the only consolation she got out of it was the thought he was just grieving and would come back to them when he was ready. But to know he'd not only been out trying to kill the only Demon who managed to kill their brother but he'd been doing it with the enemy. Then he'd lied to them about it. The coward couldn't even admit the truth to them, they had to find out from an Angel of all things. The whole thing just caught her off guard and she didn't know what to do about it. She'd already challenged her brother on the matter and he obviously wasn't listening so besides tracking and killing Ruby, there was not much to be done. "Cas? Castiel! If you can hear me, I need you!"

"Yes?"

She turned to see the Ang in question standing behind her. "I need you to do me a favour and take me somewhere calm and quite. I am so pissed right now, it's unbelievable." She expected him to use whatever he had but he didn't try to move closer to her and for a split second, she thought he would refuse her request. "Very well." The scenery around them blurred and changed when he touched her and she found herself in a field. "Why are you so angry?"

"Sam and his poor friggen choices! Who the hell does he think he is? He turned his damn back on us and the hunter community for some pathetic slut-bag. She's nothing! She's a stain, she's lower than a whore for God's sake! There's nothing special about her, she's not decent, not different, she is nothing. She will never change and I'm not prepared to work with her or even be around her," she ranted, pacing around restlessly.

Castiel eyed her watchfully. Now he had a pretty good idea who she was talking about and it didn't sit well with him. The thought of Demon scum in the same room as her made him feel discontent. Ruby was not to be trusted. She knew that, he knew it, Dean knew it and his brothers and sisters knew it. The only one that didn't seem to know it was Sam. "What do you plan to do about it?"

She stopped. "I don't know. My instincts tell me to find her and rip her out of he damn vessel. Send her back to Hell where she belongs. But how am I supposed to do that when our idiot of a brother keeps interfering?"

Castiel was impressed. "Your instincts are right. Your brother is wrong. Perhaps for now you should be aware and keep your guard up. If she attempts to attack you then kill her. She is still a Demon first and foremost and you must not forget that. Why are you working with her anyway if I may ask?"

Rosalie just shook her head. She wasn't going to tell him about the girl who could hear his kind lest he deem her dangerous. She wasn't going to take that chance. "It's for a case," she told him vaguely. It wasn't exactly a lie even if it wasn't the whole truth. "I think I'll take your advice. Thanks. Could you send me back now?"

"Of course. I have to go now." He took her back and she gave him a small tentive smile before heading back into the war zone.

* * *

"Glad you could make it." Ruby stated, opening the cabin door. It was a few hours after her rant with Castiel and although she felt calmer, she still didn't want to deal with Ruby. She ignored the Demon and headed towards Anna. Anna was her main priority here, nothing else mattered and knowing what she now knew, her hatred for Ruby only grew. Her relationship with Sam had just become more rocky than ever. She refused to talk to him or even look in his direction.

"Yeah, thanks. Anna, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. Ruby's not like other Demons. She saved my life." She smiled. Rosalie scoffed loudly. "Hey, Sam, you think it'd be safe to make a quick call, just to tell my parents I'm okay? They must be completely freaked." Their faces fell. Anna felt her heart stop. "What?"

"Anna, um...your parents..."

"What about them?" Anna swallowed. She knew what was coming, she just didn't want to believe it.

"Look, I'm sorry."

"No, they're not..." Anna shook her head, tears in her eyes.

"Anna, I'm sorry."

"Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know."

"They're coming!" She screamed.

"Back room."

Sam took Anna to the back room and closed the door. Ruby rummaged through the bag looking for the knife but it wasn't there. "Where's the knife?"

"Uh...about that..."

"You're kidding!" She looked at Dean who held his hands up defensively.

"Hey, don't look at me."

"Thanks a lot." Dean grinned.

"Not now!" Rosalie snapped.

"Great. Just peachy. Impeccable timing, guys, really." The door rattled violently and burst open. They waited for the Demons to come but to their shock, it wasn't Demons that walked in but Angels. Ruby flashed her black eyes.

"Please tell me you're here to help. We've been having Demon issues all day." Rosalie said.

"Well, I can see that. You want to explain why you have that stain in the room?" Uriel demanded.

"Oh, trust me. I don't want her here either."

Ruby's eyes went back to normal but she kept her distance from them. _Coward_

"We're here for Anna." Castiel stated emotionlessly, not bothering about the Demon. She was of no consequence...yet.

"Here for her like...here for her?"

"Stop talking! Give her to us."

"Depends. Are you gonna help her?"

"No, she has to die."

Rosalie closed her eyes. Things just got a whole lot worse.


	7. Chapter 7: Anna the Angel

_Previously:_

 _"Lilith is trying to break the 66 seals to free Lucifer from Hell."_

 _"Anna Milton escaped from a locked ward yesterday."_

 _"Hello again, Dean. We were so close...in Hell."_

 _"Alistair."_

 _"Why do you trust her so much?"_

 _"Because she saved my life."_

 _"We're here for Anna."_

 _"Are you gonna help her?"_

 _"No, she has to die."_

X - X

Now:

Out of everything they could have come out with, those were _not_ the words Sam expected to hear. First they had to deal with Demons wanting Anna dead and now Angels too? What's next? "You want Anna? Why?"

"Out of the way." Uriel growled aggressively.

Dean stepped in front of the Angel, blocking his way. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, I know she's wiretapping your Angel chats or whatever, but it's no reason to gank her."

Uriel grinned evilly. "Don't worry. I'll kill her gentle."

Rosalie twitched and scowled darkly. Oh _,_ this Angel was starting to get on her last nerves. "The hell you will, you sick bastard!"

"You're some heartless sons of bitches, you know that?" Dean told them. He didn't bother to hide the disappointment from them. They deserved to know. It was Castiel who responded.

"As a matter of fact, we are. And?"

 _"And?_ Anna's an innocent girl." They were shocked at how indifferent Castiel seemed to be, as if they were having a casual conversation about the weather and not about killing someone.

"She is far from innocent."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means she's worse than this abomination you've been screwing. Now give us the girl!"

Sam and Rosalie gave Dean a pleading look. He was the leader and so they looked to him. "Sorry. Get yourself another one. Try JDate."

"Who's gonna stop us? You three? Or this Demon whore?" He grabbed Ruby and threw her against the wall. Strangely enough, it wasn't Sam that rushed to her defence but Dean. he had no problem with attacking her assailant. But Uriel was strong and he hit back. Castiel was still staring at Sam and Rosalie. He strove towards them full of purpose.

"Cas, stop...please." Sam appealed. The other Winchester was unprepared for when Castiel touched his forehead. He fell to the ground with a thump.

Rosalie backed herself against the door in a feeble attempt at protection. She assessed the danger she was in. "Okay, plan B," she muttered under her breath. Castiel reached out to her presumably to do the same and she used that to her advantage. She spun around on the spot and kicking him hard in the stomach. He only staggered back because it took him by surprise and even then it was only a few steps back. He just blinked at her like he couldn't quite believe she'd done that and tilted his head in question. Her obligation to save an innocent overrode the still newish friendship thing they had going on and she jumped up and kicked him again. This time, he blocked her, having anticipated this and grabbed her leg, holding it tightly. In these moments, her gymnastics skills were useful and she hopped on her other leg and few times and using it as leverage to bring it up. She aimed for his head but he caught her and to her ultimate discomfort, she was now in a position where she couldn't move at all. He was holding her up just by her legs. She grunted as he lifted her up higher, his expression never changing. She fully expected him to put her to sleep too now that he was in the perfect position to do but all he did was throw her onto the floor behind him. He grabbed the handle to the door and her heart sank as the thought of the Angel attacking and ultimately killing the girl in the other room seemed more and more likely. "No!" She cried out.

Then something amazing happened. A bright light filled the cabin and Castiel arched back in what looked like pain but she couldn't be sure because the light was so bright. She and everyone else were forced to close their eyes. One minute they were there and the next both he and Uriel had vanished from the room. "What the...?" Dean helped Ruby to her feet, much to her surprise. "Come on." He ran to the back room where Anna was and flung the door open. Blood dripped down from her arm and onto her hand.

"Anna. Anna!"

On the mirror was a symbol he'd never seen before. "Are they...gone?"

"Did you kill them?"

"No. I sent them away...far away."

"You want to tell me how?"

She pointed at the symbol and said breathlessly, "That just popped in my head. I don't know how I did it. I just did it."

"Okay, we need to go before they come back."

"No need to tell us twice." They left the cabin in a hurry. It was no longer safe. Good thing they knew just the place to go to.

* * *

Rosalie paced the living room restlessly. Everything was wrong. Having a Demon in Bobby's house was wrong, having Sam screw said Demon was definitely wrong and having to protect an innocent from being killed by Angels was wrong. She was frustrated, annoyed, tired and helpless to do anything. She didn't understand why they were after her. What had she done wrong? She was just another human...wasn't she? It didn't help that she had to put up with Ruby and her smug superiority and attitude. The fact that she was even in their company and hadn't been killed yet (and she knew it) pissed Rosalie off. She would've killed the bitch with her own knife but then she remembered it was gone. Anna, meanwhile, was in the panic room with Dean and Ruby. Since the panic room was protected, Ruby couldn't get inside the room itself which was one good thing at least. She still didn't trust her and she knew she never would. She had no idea what the hell Sam was drinking to willingly put up with her let alone sleep with her. She thought of going to see Anna but seeing Ruby as well put her off so she stayed away. Speaking of Sam..."Hey, Dean! Rosalie!"

"Just stay here, okay? Keep an eye on her."

She headed over to where she thought his voice was and found him with Dean. "How's the car?"

"I got her. She's fine. Where's Bobby?" He assured.

"Uh, The Dominican. He said we break anything, we buy it."

"He's working a job?"

"God, I hope so. Otherwise, he's at hedonism in a banana hammock and a trucker cap." Dean muttered then shivered in horror.

Sam grimaced. "Now that's seared in my brain."

"Yeah, know the feeling."

"All right, what did you find on Anna?"

"Uh, not much. Her parents were Rich and Amy Milton. He was a church deacon and she was a housewife."

"Riveting." Dean replied sarcastically.

"Yeah. But there is something here in the report. Turns out this latest psych episode wasn't her first."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked curiously. Her anger towards Sam was put aside as the case was more important.

"When she was 2 and a half, she'd get hysterical any time her dad got close. She was convinced that he wasn't her real daddy."

"Who was? The plumber, hmm? A little snaking the pipes?"

Sam pulled a face. Rosalie looked disgusted. "Dude, you're confusing reality with porn again. Look, Anna didn't say. She just kept repeating that this real father of hers was mad. Very mad - like wanted-to-kill-her mad."

"Kind of heavy for a 2 year old."

"Well, she saw a kid's shrink, got better, and grew up normal." Sam shrugged.

"But that's not the end of it, can't be. We're missing something," Rosalie murmured thoughtfully.

"She's right. So the question is, what's she hiding?"

Sam was about to open his mouth when an angry voice cut in. "Why don't you just ask me to my face?!" Anna confronted them furiously. Ruby was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"Nice job watching her." Dean snapped in annoyance. Couldn't she do anything right?

"I'm watching her." _Obviously not well enough._

"No, you're right, Anna. Is there anything you want to tell us?" Sam asked gently.

"About what?"

"The Angels said you were guilty of something. Why would they say that?"

"You tell me! Tell me why my life has been leveled, why my parents are dead. I don't know. I swear. I would give anything to know."

"Okay. Then let's find out."

"How?"

An hour and a half later and Dean was leading Pamela down the basement stairs. The woman wore dark sunglasses. "We're here!"

Sam was the first to step forward followed by the others except Ruby, who stayed where she was. "Pamela, hey!"

"Sam?"

"It's me. it's Sam"

"Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Sam, is that you?"

"I'm right here."

Pamela leaned forward and grinned. "Oh. Know how I can tell? That perky little ass of yours." Sam jumped, feeling a hand groping his ass and blushed. "You could bounce a nickel off that thing. Of course I know it's you, grumpy. Same way I know that's a Demon, that's Rosalie and that poor girl's Anna...and that you've been eyeing my rack."

Dean laughed. Sam's blush deepened and he stammered nervously. "Uh..."

"Don't sweat it, kiddo. I still got more senses than most."

"Got it."

"Hey, Anna. How are you? I'm Pamela."

"Hi." Anna greeted politely.

"Dean told me what's been going on. I'm excited to help."

"Oh. That's nice of you." Anna replied politely, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, well, not really. Any chance I can dick over an Angel, I'm taking it."

"Why?"

"They stole something from me." Anna's eyes widened at the sight of Pamela's pure white eyes when she pulled her sunglasses off. "Demon-y, I know. But they're just plastic. Good for business. Makes me look extra-psychic, don't you think? Now...how about you tell me what your deal is?" The group settled in the panic room with Anna on the bed. Pamela's idea was to put the girl in a deep trance then ask questions. Luckily, her voice was soothing enough to work. "Nice and relaxed. Now, I'm going to count down from five to zero. When we're at zero, you'll be in a deep state of hypnosis. As I count down, just go deeper and deeper, okay? 5...4...3...2...1. Deep sleep. Deep sleep. Every muscle calm and relaxed. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you," Anna droned blankly.

"Now, Anna, tell me...how can you hear the Angels? How did you work that spell?"

"I don't know. I just did."

"Your father...what's his name?"

"Rich Milton."

"All right. But I want you to look further back...when you were very young. Just a couple of years old."

Anna began twisting on the bed. "I don't want to," she protested.

"It'll be okay. Anna, just one look, that's all we need."

"No." Anna whispered.

"What's your dad's name? Your real dad. Why is he angry at you?" Pamela suddenly bombarded her.

"No. No!"

"Calm down!"

"Ahh! He's gonna kill me!" She thrashed on the bed.

"Anna, you're safe."

"No!" The lights above exploded and rained down on them. They ducked, their arms covering their heads and faces in protection.

"Calm down."

But Anna was hysterical and wasn't listening to her. Her body arched up. "He's gonna kill me!"

"It's all right, Anna."

"Anna?" Dean called out to her. He walked over to her.

Pamela held out an arm in warning. "Dean, don't." Too late. _Smack!_ Dean was thrown back with a painful grunt. "Wake in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Anna... Anna? You all right?"

Anna went silent. She panted and sat up slowly. Her red hair was a mess around her face. Her eyes suddenly looked older than before and full of knowledge no human should ever have. "Thank you, Pamela. That helps a lot. I remember now." Even her voice was different...stronger perhaps and filled with confidence and authority.

"Remember what?"

"Who I am," she answered calmly.

Dean pulled a face. He decided to take the bait. "I'll bite. Who are you?"

"I'm an Angel."

* * *

After Anna's Angel declaration, they all headed back up the stairs to Bobby's study. Ruby and Pamela eyed her up tensely in distrust while the rest looked at the red head in a new light. Maybe she could sense this because she stopped pacing and held up a hand. "Don't be afraid, I'm not like the others."

"I don't find that very reassuring." Ruby stated.

Pamela agreed. "Neither do I."

Anna looked down. "So...Castiel, Uriel...they're the ones that came for me?"

Sam perked up at the mention of the other Angels names. "You know them?"

"We were kind of in the same foxhole." She smiled brightly at this.

"So, what, were they like your bosses or something?" Dean guessed.

Anna smirked. "Try the other way around."

Dean cat whistled. "Look at you." Rosalie sighed. "But now they want to kill you?"

Anna merely shrugged as if were nothing. "Orders are orders. I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."

"Why?"

"I disobeyed...which, for us, is it a bit put it about the worst thing you can do. I fell."

"Meaning?"

"She fell to Earth, became human," Pamela explained without turning to look at him.

Sam's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute. I don't understand. So, Angels can just become...human?"

"It kind of hurts. Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. That kind of hurt. I ripped out my Grace."

"What's Grace?" Rosalie questioned. The more information she could get, the better things would be for them.

"My Grace. It's...energy. Hacked it out and fell. My mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle. She had no idea how right she was."

"So, you just forgot that you were God's little Power Ranger?"

"The older I got, the longer I was human, yeah."

"I don't think you all appreciate how completely screwed we are," Ruby scowled.

"Ruby's right. Heaven wants me dead."

"And Hell just wants her. A flesh-and-blood Angel that you can question, torture and bleeds. Sister, you're the Stanley Cup. And sooner or later, Heaven or Hell, they're gonna find you."

"I know. And that's why I'm gonna get it back."

"What?" Sam asked stupidly.

Rosalie facepalmed at his stupid question. " _Seriously?_ Weren't you listening? Her Grace, stupid."

"You can do that?"

 _"If_ I can find it."

"So, what, you're just gonna take some divine bong hit, and, shazam, you're Roma Downey?"

"Something like that." Anna laughed lightly.

"All right. I like this plan. So, where's this Grace of yours?"

Irritation crossed her face. "Lost track. I _was_ falling about 10,000 miles per hour at the time."

They blinked. "Wait. You mean falling, like, literally?"

"Yes."

"Like the way a human eye can see? Like a comet, maybe, or a meteor?"

"Why do you ask?"

* * *

Everyone was beyond tired and stressed. It didn't help that they had no way to get out of the situation without giving either side what they wanted. They all felt confined to each other which only darkened their mood further. Having Ruby still with them made Rosalie temperamental. The young huntress wanted to rip the Demon from her vessel and be done with it. Even Dean was getting back on the 'I hate Ruby' train. "We still got the hex bags. I say we head back to the panic room."

"What, forever?"

"I'm just thinking out loud!"

"Oh, you call that thinking?" Ruby spat.

Rosalie had enough of the arguing and fighting. Actually, she had enough of Ruby in general. "Oh, enough! Don't you know how to shut the hell up?"

"Anna's Grace is _gone._ You understand? She _can't_ Angel up. She _can't_ protect us. We can't fight Heaven and Hell. One side maybe, but not both. Not at once!" Ruby exploded.

"Well, if we can't Angel up, at least we can Demon up since _you're_ still here." Rosalie said with a sneer and a roll of her eyes.

Ruby straightened herself and took a threatening step forward. "Oh, you wanna go?"

Rosalie refused to be intimidated by a low level Demon like her. She was nothing more than a coward and she hated cowards. "You know what? Maybe I do. It'll put you in your place at the very least."

"Um...guys? The Angels are talking again."

Sam was never more thankful for an interruption. It was awkward having to choose who to stick up for. In hindsight, he should always stick up for his family but Ruby saved him. She helped him when he needed it the most. He owed her. "What are they saying?"

"It's weird...like a recording, a loop. It says, "Dean Winchester gives us Anna by midnight, or..."

"Or what?"

"...or we hurl him back to damnation."

Dean paled, Sam's lips pressed together in a thin line and Rosalie was thunderous. "They're bluffing, they have to be. Why go to extreme measures and risk their own to get you out. They need you, we all know it. The only reason you even went there was cause of your deal for Sam. You paid that debt and the second they got you out, it was done. Over with. Cleared. As far as I'm concerned, they can no longer touch you. They're using it as a threat because they think it's the best way to keep you in line but that's it. They can't send you back. They literally can't. The only thing that can send you back now is if you committed a crime worth Hell or made another deal. They touch you. You're innocent now. You're a hunter who saves people not kill. You're innocent and they can't condemn innocents to Hell. Can they? And anyway, they'd have to go through us. If they kill you, they kill us and they really wouldn't risk that. Not now."

Dean smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Rose." Her words made a lot of sense and it made him feel better.

"Anna..do you know of any weapon that works on an Angel?"

"To what? To _kill_ them?" Sam nodded shortly. He wasn't ever going to risk Dean's life again. "Nothing we could get to. Not right now."

"Okay, wait, wait. I say we call Bobby. We get him back from hedonism."

"Dean, what's he gonna tell us that we don't already know?" Sam asked, exasperated.

Dean threw his hands into the air. "I don't know, but we got to think of something!"

* * *

Late that night while everyone else was asleep, Ruby snuck out and burned her hex bag. No sooner had she done this, Alistair appeared in front of her. She swallowed back the fear she felt for the Demon and pushed on. She had a job to do, one that not even he knew of and she was determined to do it.

"Hello, Ruby."

She nodded in acknowledgement. It wouldn't do her well to piss him off. "Alastair."

"I have to say, I'm surprised to find you out in the open like this."

"Yeah? Desperate times."

"That they are. You looking for this?" He took her knife out of his pocket and held it up, taunting her. "Your gawky human friend gave it to me."

"Keep it. I just came to talk."

"About what? About how a _Demon_ is protecting an _Angel?_ We really must revoke your membership."

"Look, I know I'm not employee of the month, but this, I never wanted to get in the middle of this."

"Why are you here, Ruby?"

"I'll give you the Angel."

"Will you? And in return?" Alistair wanted to laugh at her. Did this worthless, cowardly, insignificant Demon think he was born yesterday?

"I walk away. Me and the Winchesters."

"All of them? Even the other girl?"

"Even her. This Angel business is none of our business."

Alistair pretended to consider her offer. "Hmm. You know, I'd always heard that you were a devious, cowardly little slut. And I must say, you don't disappoint."

"So, what do you say?"

"It's interesting...prudent." She gasped as two Demons grabbed her from behind. "But, uh, let me make you a counteroffer." And they disappeared.

* * *

The wind wrapped around Rosalie and she brushed her hair out of her face. She looked around, finding herself on a beach. The sea crashed noisily against the sand. The sand felt warm underneath her bare feet. She felt content and didn't notice she was being watched. "I need you to give me Anna, Rosalie. We'll find her eventually. It's only a matter of time."

She jumped and spun around to face him. "Son of a batch of cookies!" Castiel tilted his head, unable to understand how cookies had anything to do with things. That was twice she used them words. Humans and their strange sayings. "My name is Rose by the way. What makes you think I'm just gonna give her up? Hmm? What's the real reason you're after her?"

"I told you. She needs to be punished."

"For what?! You say she needs to be punished but I don't understand why. She's human and has been for a long time now. That makes her one of us and we protect our own. You have no authority over me whatsoever. I don't follow you so don't tell me what to do. You're picking on an old grudge which is pointless. She hasn't done anything wrong but live her life the way she wanted. What kind of asshole goes after someone defenceless much less someone who couldn't even remember who she was?"

Castiel's jaw tightened and he looked away. "It doesn't concern you and Anna isn't one of you nor will she ever be. She is an Angel first and foremost. And as an Angel she had orders and responsibilities."

Rosalie chuckled humorlessly. "Orders and responsibilities? Is that what you call it? Cause I call it slave labour. Did it ever occur to you what her reasons for leaving were?"

"...No."

"No? Maybe you ought to think about it. Maybe all the senseless killing and stupid, pointless orders drove her crazy in the end. Maybe the killing finally got to her and she felt trapped with no way out. Maybe her conscious grew and she felt guilty for following without questioning first. Or maybe she finally saw the truth about your kind and decided enough was enough. So many reasons, so little time." She mocked.

"It doesn't matter what her reasons were. She still needs to die."

"Did you ever think that maybe she wanted to experience what humanity was about? Complete freedom with no orders and no worry about anyone coming after you. The ability to grow up and make friends, have a life, grow old and make a family. There are many possible reasons as to why she left. Maybe she thought humanity was better in that respect."

"It's wrong-"

"It's not wrong!" Her voice rose in anger. "Because of her choice she's now able to think for herself and make her own choices. She knows what's right and what's wrong. She knows exactly what she's doing. You can't condemn someone for living and thinking otherwise what's the point?" She implored. "How else are you supposed to learn and grow?" She stepped into his personal space, his blue eyes never leaving her. She lowered her voice and continued, "Right now, you're going after an innocent that can't defend herself and bears no threat to you or your plans whatsoever. So I'll ask again. What's the real reason you're after her? Cause it can't be about her messing anything up. You need to think about your actions...and where they'll lead." Castiel stayed silent. "Because you can't expect your actions to not have consequences. Angel or not, it doesn't work that way."

An odd stirring rose within. Her words were logical and he didn't like how it made sense because it meant that she was right. It created doubt and chaos - something an Angel should never experience. As much as he tried to push it to one side, her words lingered. "My orders are to kill her. Where is she? She disobeyed, Rosalie. Disobeying orders is a serious crime in Heaven."

"If you wanna kill her then you're gonna have to kill me too."

That got to him. He looked startled and maybe a little horrified. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I've disobeyed countless times in my life. I've disobeyed my father, Dean and Sam and even Bobby once or twice. Oh, and while your at it, you'll have to kill both Sam and Dean too...and the rest of humanity. Because we've all disobeyed. Think about your choices throughout your existence. _Really_ think about them."

Castiel was far from thrilled. He had orders to implement and his charges were getting in the way of them. Well, charge but speaking of charges..."I wish to take you as my charge."

Rosalie was taken aback by his random statement. "Say what now?"

"I wish to take you as my charge," he repeated. "You will be under my care and protection should you accept."

She didn't know how to respond. One minute they were talking about killing innocents, the next he wanted her to be his charge. What? Of course they'd be lucky to get the one Angel who seemed to be bipolar. Was he serious or was he up to something? A distraction maybe, to get Anna? But he didn't know where they were so she ruled that out. It didn't make her any less suspicious though. In her haste to work out what he was up to, she forgot where she was. She cried out indignantly as a gust of wind lifted up her skirt, revealing her lacy black underwear! "Hey!" Her cheeks turned crimson and she refused to look at him out of embarrassment. She lifted a finger and pointed it at him sternly. "You did NOT see that. That _never_ happened, understood?" Never in her life had she felt more embarrassed. She wanted to crawl into her bed and never come out again.

For his part, Castiel couldn't take his eyes away from her red face. It was a pretty colour on her. He unintentionally went further down and settled on her underwear. She didn't see this because she was refusing to look in his direction at all. An odd stirring rose within him. He cleared his throat. "Will you accept my proposal?"

Her eyebrows rose and she fought and lost the urge to laugh at his words. "Aw, Cas. If you wanted to marry me you should know, I prefer dates first," she teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.

The Angel suddenly looked awkward. He reminded her of a teenager wanting to ask out their crush. "I...uh..."

"Oh, relax. I'm just teasin."

He still refused to look at her. "Do you accept?"

Her playfulness turned serious. "I don't know. I mean, can I really trust you to look after me? How do I know you won't turn against me the first sign of an order?"

Castiel said nothing. She was right. Putting her life in his hands could be her end. But he refused to see it that way. "I won't."

She regarded him for a while. "Fine. But if you fail at your job or do something that I don't like which involves me or my brother...it's over."

"Very well." And without another word, disappeared and she woke up.

* * *

Rosalie woke up in wonder. Did that conversation _really_ just happen or was she going crazy? He was an Angel so it was possible...right? Her stomach rumbled and she blushed. Who did you have to kill to get some food around here? She was starving! It didn't help her mood to see Sam spoke up, "I don't know, man. Where's Ruby?" Rosalie gritted her teeth. _Ruby, Ruby, Ruby._.. That's all it ever seemed to be now. Dean didn't care either and he wasn't going to try to hide it. Why should he? He honestly couldn't work out how Sam was actually worried about a Demon. "Hey, she's _your_ Hell buddy." He took a long swig from his flask.

"Little early for that, isn't it?" Anna asked quietly.

"It's 2 a.m. somewhere."

Anna's eyes narrowed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, of course," he lied, not looking at her so she wouldn't be able to see the guilt on his face and work out what he'd done. His heart sank as the seconds passed. The Angels would be there soon for Anna and the worst part? Dean himself had been the one to give her up. As if waiting for their cue, the doors burst open with a blast of cold air. They rushed to get to their feet as Castiel and Uriel walked in.

"Hello, Anna. It's good to see you."

"How? How did you find us?!" Sam asked. Castiel's eyes flickered over to Dean's guilty form in response. "Dean?"

"I'm sorry." Rosalie couldn't believe her ears. Dean was...willingly giving up an innocent? Why? There had to be a reason for it. There just had to be. He wouldn't do that.

"Why?" C'mon, where was Ruby when you needed her? At least with her they stood more of a chance. Not much of one but still one nonetheless.

Anna seemed to know why. "Because they gave him a choice. They either kill me... or kill both of you. I know how their minds work," she told them grimly. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. "You did the best you could. I forgive you. Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."

"I'm sorry." Castiel offered. He didn't sound sorry even as he said it. It was an empty apology that meant nothing.

"No. You're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling." Anna retorted a little bitterly but in her defence, she had the right to feel that way.

"Still, we have a history. It's just-"

"Orders are orders. Yeah, whatever. I know. Just make it quick," Anna cut in harshly.

Time was up. Ruby was nowhere to be seen and they had no back-up plan if this failed. Just when they were about to attack, a depressingly familiar voice called out suddenly. "Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head." Alistair and another Demon stood side by side. The unnamed Demon held a broken, bleeding Ruby. Ruby panted weakly. She grunted as the Demon threw her to the side.

"How dare you come in this room...you pussing sore?"

"Name-calling. That hurt my feelings you sanctimonious, fanatical prick." _That's a good one. I'll have to remember that one,_ Rosalie thought to herself.

"Turn around and walk away now."

"Sure. Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."

"You know who we are and what we will do. I won't say it again. Leave now...or we lay you to waste." Castiel sounded scary when he was in a threatening mood. She made a mental note to not piss him off in the future. How Alistair could do that was beyond her.

"Think I'll take my chances." Tension filled the atmosphere and silence filled the barn. All humans moved out of the way, leaving the Angels and Demons to face off against each other. Uriel was the first to attack. He grabbed the Demon and shoved him against a wooden beam. While the two fought, Castiel went straight for Alistair. With a series of hits and punches, he held a palm to Alistair's forehead and waited. But nothing happened. All of them but Uriel and the Demon he was fighting had their eyes on Castiel. Castiel looked confused when nothing happened. "Sorry, kiddo. Why don't you go run to daddy?" Alistair taunted. He easily broke out of his grip and with a hard kick, sent him flying on his back. They watched in horror as Alistair wrapped a hand around his throat and began chanting. "Potestas inferna, me confirma. Potestas inferna, me confirma. Potestas inferma, me confirma!" Dean peered around desperately, hoping to find something that would help the Angel in any way. He picked up a crowbar and swung it hard. It hit Alistair but it grabbed his attention. "Dean, Dean, Dean. I am so disappointed. You had such... promise."

He waved a hand and both Sam and Dean fell to their knees in agony. Rosalie didn't know what to do. In a moment of stupidity, she ran and jumped on his back. "That's enough, asshole!" Alistair reached out behind him and managed to get a grip on her. He threw her over his shoulder and onto the ground. Agony shot through her and she cried out in pain. A hand touched her and made her jump. Castiel stared back at her in concern. Seeing Uriel was distracted, Anna ran and grabbed the vial around his neck and pulled just as he finished killing the Demon. He looked up and made to lunge at her furiously. "No!" But it was too late. She threw the vial onto the ground. It broke and a small bluey-white light shot up and into her open mouth.

She fell to her knees, her body lighting up "Shut your eyes. Shut your eyes! Shut your eyes! Ahhh!" She screamed. Alistair stopped what he was doing. His gaze was on the light which grew brighter every second. Rosalie was unable to look away from the light. It was beautiful...and bright. It filled the whole barn and she could see the others covering their eyes. A pair of hands grabbed her from behind and she struggled instinctively. The hands moved to cover her eyes. She felt a body on top of hers, pinning her down. When the light finally dissolved, the hands on her eyes left and she found herself staring into Castiel's worried ones. They stayed like that until someone cleared their throat awkwardly. Castiel held out a hand for her to take. She took it gladly.

Dean bent down to pick up the Demon knife. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Go get Anna. Unless, of course, you're scared."

"This isn't over!" Uriel fumed.

"Oh, it looks over to me... junkless." Rosalie gasped in pain. Her arm hurt like hell. Castiel touched her gently and the pain ceased. They vanished in a blink of an eye. "You okay?"

"Not so much." Ruby moaned.

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked sarcastically. Rosalie sniggered.

Ruby glared daggers at them. "Sorry I'm late with the Demon delivery. I was only being tortured."

"I got to hand it to you, Sammy. Bringing them all together all at once - Angels and Demons. It was a damn good plan."

"You're telling me."

"Yeah, well, when you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of their way and let them fight."

"Yeah, now you're just bragging."

"So, I guess she's some big-time Angel now, huh? She must be happy...wherever she is."

"I doubt it."

* * *

"I can't believe we made it out of there." Dean sighed.

"Again." Sam added.

"Story of our lives."

"Amen."

Dean tossed Sam a beer and Rosalie a coke since she didn't drink. The siblings leaned against the Impala. Rosalie felt better than she had since Dean had returned. Ruby out of the picture only made her happier. "I know you heard him." Dean muttered after a few moments.

"Who?"

Dean looked down. "Alastair. What he said...about how I had promise."

"Yeah, we heard him."

Dean was shocked. "You're not curious?"

"Dean, I'm damn curious. But you're not talking about Hell and I'm not pushing."

"It wasn't four months, you know."

"What?" Rosalie asked.

Dean's jaw clenched. "It was four months up here, but down there...I don't know. Time's different. It was more like 40 years."

"My God!"

"Jesus Christ."

"They, uh...they sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you...until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly I would be whole again...like magic just so they could start in all over. And Alastair...at the end of every day...he would come over and he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack...if I put souls on...if I started the torturing. And every day, I told him to stick it where the sun shines. For 30 years, I told him. But then I couldn't do it anymore, Sammy. I couldn't. And I got off that rack. God help me, I got right off it, and I started ripping them apart. I lost count of how many souls." They listened intently in sorrow. A tear slipped down his cheek. "The things that I did to them..."

"Dean...Dean, look, you held out for 30 years. That's longer than anyone would have."

"Yeah, how many others would last a day much less a week, a year or even longer?" She comforted.

"How I feel...this...inside me... I wish I couldn't feel anything. I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing." Both siblings wrapped themselves around their broken brother, hoping against hope that things would start to get better. Little did they know, thing were about to get a whole lot worse before they would get better.


	8. Chapter 8: Trap within a trap

Rosalie shifted uncomfortably on the mattress of the current motel she was staying at. Dean was out and Sam was sitting close by on his laptop. They'd not long finished a case with feral children that had been locked up in the walls of their house their whole lives. The children had already murdered their father slash grandfather then proceeded to try and kill them as well as the new family that moved in. More victims were claimed before the children were forced to be put down. On top of all this, Sam and Dean had a minor falling out over Sam's misuse of the word 'Hell' in a sentence during the case which temporarily sparked Dean's anger and made her wince when she thought about it. She would have thought that Sam out of everyone would understand the words 'subtle' and 'sensitive' but lately, that didn't seem to be the case. And she didn't understand why. Well she _did_ but at the same time she didn't. It had something to do with Ruby as usual but beyond that, she had no idea what was happening with him. All she knew was he was changing and it was starting to worry her. Her brother had always been compassionate and kind and sensitive but you wouldn't think that if you'd spent a little time with him now. After her outburst after he'd admitted he'd slept with her things had been somewhat awkward between them. She huffed and stopped fiddling with the thick belt she was currently working on. Technology was her specialty, something she was good at and loved doing and something that regularly helped them through situations. The belt she was working on was supposed to be designed to scan lifeforms and identify the species it was scanning. But it still had a few flaws and problems with it but she was happy to work on it as it served as a distraction from everything else. It was nothing she couldn't fix with time.

She eyed Sam carefully as if doing this would allow her to read his mind and see what secrets he was hiding. She wanted to confront him about everything again but doing so would only serve to push them further apart. The problems between them weren't the only thing on her mind. The Angels were too. Well, more specifically _him._ Castiel. The guy clearly lacked emotions and general knowledge of humanity but at the same time, she could see the something burning in his gaze and the compassion and empathy he held towards them sparked _something_ in her. Apart from that dick-bag Uriel and Anna, Castiel was the only Angel she'd met. She mostly felt disappointment towards them and their ways and she had to admit, to hear from an Angel that they're willing to kill so many for something so small and easily stoppable without even considering the consequences or second guessing their choice was discouraging.

Simply from observing them alone, Rosalie had gained a grasp of what each of the Angels were like and what they felt. Uriel felt nothing but hatred, loathing and disdain towards her and the rest of humanity, God knows why, and as a result, she didn't trust him in the slightest. The look in his eyes alone was enough to tell her he was the dishonest kind, willing to get what he wanted however he wanted no matter what even if he had to wait a while to get it. She was sure if he had it his way he'd be more than happy to wipe humanity out without a second thought. She'd have to keep an eye on him just to be on the safe side. Anna was the closest to human out of all three. Which was hardly surprising since she'd actually fully experienced what humanity had to offer and clearly loved it. She was brave and understood humanity and their desires and flaws. She'd lived as a human for years and learned a lot. She was sweet, kind and warm. Everything an Angel wasn't. Castiel for his part didn't feel the contempt that Uriel did and saw no reason to destroy or hate them. She was thankful for that but although he didn't despise them, he was still emotionless and couldn't feel the way Anna could which was a shame in her opinion. He was fascinating that was for sure. He was clearly faithful in what he believed in and focused on what he had to do which was good and while he didn't understand a lot when it came to certain things, he was willing to try to and that was enough for her. The blue eyed man was sincere with his words, as empty as they could be as he didn't know the feeling and showed compassion and care instead of hostility and even seemed to be drawn to them somewhat. For some odd reason, she felt Castiel was the one she could trust the most, even more so than Anna.

She hardly noticed she'd been staring at the wall for the past few minutes, only jumping when she heard Sam clearing his throat. "Ahem." She inclined her head in his direction and waited. "So...what are you working on?"

She looked down at the belt in her hand and hid a smile. He was trying and that was enough to look past some things. "It's a belt."

He rolled his eyes almost playfully. "Obviously. But what does it do? What's it for?"

While both her brothers encouraged and loved the things she made, it was Sam who loved to ask about it which often ended up with her explaining everything she was doing at the time. Dean preferred doing things old school which meant knives and guns and blades and other things. He wasn't good with technology unless it was his laptop. She tied the belt around her waist and pressed the button in the middle. A sort of light touched him and flickered on then off again. She sighed. "Still have some stuff to work out."

"Is it meant to do that?"

She sighed again. "No. It's meant to scan a person and identify their species. So if I were to scan you, it would come up with human but if I were to scan someone else like Anna for instance, it would identify her as Angel once programmed in. Same with Demons and others."

Sam's jaw dropped in wonder. "Seriously? You're basically making something that can identify species?"

"That's the idea, yeah."

"Wow, that'll definitely help with cases in the future."

"Well, it would do if I could get it to work. I think I'm missing something."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," he smiled in encouragement. His sister was smart like that. When he'd left all those years ago to go to Stanford and quit hunting, it had been _him_ that encouraged her to further her knowledge on technology. He didn't want her mind to go to waste when she could be doing something good with her life. Not that hunting wasn't good, he just didn't like killing and all that. It was _him_ that begging her to quit hunting too and go with him. Naturally, it took a while to convince her as she'd initially been hesitant to leave her family but he'd found a way around that by using her interests and hobbies which drew her in. She'd left with him much to their dad's fury and Dean's devastation. After Jess's death though, the siblings had united once more and were pulled back into the world of hunting. Sam despised it, Rosalie was neutral about it, not really caring as long as she helped people while Dean practically lived and breathed hunting. To him, it was all he knew how to do and the thought of a normal life just didn't excite him as it did Sam. Rosalie didn't care what she did as long as she and her family were alive and she helped others while doing what she loved and was good at. Anything else didn't matter in her opinion.

She snorted, fighting back a grin. "Just wait til you see what I've done to Bobby's place."

Sam winced. "You didn't do too much did you? You how Bobby gets."

"Yeah. I know. But he doesn't," she added as an afterthought. She was glad the awkwardness was gone and they were talking again. She hated arguing and fighting with her brothers but sometimes it was inevitable. The door opened and Dean walked in, his face grim. He didn't look in Sam's direction as he spoke. She would've questioned it but by the look on his face, she decided not to. Whatever it was, she was sure they could sort it out themselves anyway.

"Found a job. Bedford, Iowa. Guy beat his wife's brains out with a meat tenderizer."

"Yikes."

"You're telling me. It's the third local inside two months to gank his wife. No priors on any of 'em, all happily married.".

"All right, well I guess we'd better have a look."

"Let's go."

* * *

"Why does the PD keep sending you guys? I already said I don't want a lawyer, I'm pleading guilty." He remembered what he did to his wife and he honestly didn't want anyone to help him. It was his fault she was dead and it was only right he paid the consequences. He felt lost and empty, guilt and devastation. A few people had offered to help him but he'd declined. Why couldn't they see he just didn't care anymore? He had no one and nothing left. The one he'd killed his wife for didn't even mean much to him, not now when he thought about it. And she was gone. MIA. His wife was dead and everyone knew he was a murderer.

Sam and Dean sat opposite of the man being convicted of killing his wife. He seemed to be truly remorseful and guilty but they couldn't understand why. Why kill your wife only to regret it afterwards? It didn't make sense and it was their job to get to the bottom of it. Rosalie was busy doing a little investigating herself while the brothers questioned the dead woman's husband.

"They're lining up the firing squad. Look, you don't want us to represent you, that's fine. In fact it's probably not a bad idea, between you and me. We just wanna understand what happened, that's all. Why did you do it?" The man stayed silent.

"Mr. Benson, please."

"What happened was, I killed my wife. You wanna know why? Because she made plans without asking me."

"Now when it happened, how did you feel? Disoriented, out of control?"

"Like something possessed you to do it?"

Mr. Benson gave them an of look. "No, I knew exactly what I was doing. It was crystal clear."

His words caught them off guard. "...Then why'd you do it?"

He sighed and drew patterns on the table with his fingers. "I don't know. I loved her. We were happy," he whispered.

"Nine G's. That's a hefty bill." Dean pointed out.

Mr. Benson's eyes narrowed at the sight of the papers they were showing him. "Where did you get that?"

Dean shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We have it. See, certain charges, ones you don't want the missus to know...they show up under shady names like 'M & C Entertainment'."

He looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We just wanna know the truth, Mr. Benson."

"...Her name was Jasmine." Ah, now they were getting somewhere.

"She was a stripper?"

"Dude, her name was Jasmine."

"I didn't mean for it to happen, I don't like to go to strip bars. My buddy was having a bachelor party, and there she was."

"Jasmine?" Sam repeated flatly.

He nodded. "She came right up to me. And...I dunno, she was just...perfect. Everything that I wanted." Mr. Benson's voice turned dreamy as his mind thought back to the events.

"Well, you pay enough and anybody will be anything."

He shook his head vigorously. "It wasn't about the money. It wasn't even about the sex. It was...I dunno. I...I don't know what it was. It's hard to explain."

"And your wife found out?" Sam asked cautiously.

He tensed a little. "No, she never had a clue."

"Then why'd you kill her?" Sam pressed. Things just weren't adding up. The more answers they got, the less it made sense. If his wife didn't know about the affair and he loved her as much as he claimed then why kill her? Were they missing something?

"For Jasmine. She said we would be together forever. If...if only Vicki was..."

"Out of the picture? Dead?" Dean guessed.

Another nod. "Afterwards, Jasmine and I were supposed to meet but she never showed. I don't know where she lives, I don't even know her last name, I don't even know her real first name! I'm an idiot." He broke down sobbing, his hands covering his face. They felt sympathetic and waited for the man to recollect himself before asking anything else.

"And you didn't think to tell this to the cops?"

He frowned at them. "What for? The stripper didn't do it, I did it. And I know what I deserve. If the Judge doesn't give me the death sentence, I'll just do it myself." The two thanked the man for his time and left.

* * *

While Sam and Dean went to question the suspect, Rosalie went to get the police report. She learned the suspect wasn't the first to kill his wife in similar circumstances and he was just the latest in the line. The autopsies and tox results didn't pick up anything unusual, nothing in their systems but digging further, she found something strange in the bloodwork of the men. Oxytocin-a hormone produced during childbirth, lactation and sex. In other words: the love hormone. Knowing what she now knew, it was time to meet up with the others. It was time to regroup and decide what their next course of action would be.

* * *

"So Whylie and Snyder totally fessed up, huh?" Rosalie murmured as they walked slowly down the road. How many more had to die before they caught the bastard? Innocents were being turned into murderers - criminals and it wasn't even their fault! They were being forced to commit the things they did and suffered in the process of it all. She just wanted it to stop. It was beginning to get out of hand.

"Yeah. One emptied his IRA, the other, his kids' college fund, all on the same day."

"Well, he's not the first to do something like recently. He's just the latest in the line and it all seems to involve a girl at some point. Autopsies and tox results came back negative. There's nothing in the wives blood _but_ there _is_ something in the men's blood. In each of them to be exact. It's called Oxytocin. It's a hormone you get when you're pregnant or having sex or even just falling in love. It's the love hormone."

"Love hormone? Couldn't have thought of a better name?" Dean scrunched up his nose at the name.

She shrugged in response. "I'm more worried about these girls that keep popping up before the wives are killed to be honest. I'm sure these girls are involved in the murders in some way or at least know something about them. We should try and track them down and question them." Rosalie told them bluntly.

"These guys have affairs too, with a stripper also known as Jasmine?"

"Rose, tracking these chicks down is gonna be hard. How are we supposed to do that?" Dean whined unhappily.

"Stop whining like a baby, Dean. These girls could help break the case." She glared at him. "Look, they all described their stripper in the same way. Perfect, and everything that they wanted. Doesn't that strike you as odd? No one's perfect, everyone has at least a few flaws their partner would admit but you said they all insisted they were perfect."

"Yeah, at least until dream Barbie convinced them to murder their wives." And it clicked in Sam's mind. "You know, it's almost like they were under some kinda love spell."

"Makes sense."

"Well, then we need to figure out who's doing this or find a reversal spell. And quick," and with that, she swiftly turned on her heel and headed back to the car.

* * *

The next stop was to the club the strippers were last seen in. A man they guessed was the manager-well, he _looked_ like a manager at least-noticed them. Dean was the first to pull out his fake badge. "FBI. We're looking for three girls. Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel."

"You seriously think those names mean anything to me?"

"One's a redhead about 5'9". The other one's Asian, about-"

"You have any idea how many girls I deal with? Fake names, fake hair, fake-"

Dean interrupted the disgusting man swiftly. "You gotta have some sort of paperwork. Cheque stubs. Some way to keep track of the strippers."

"Please, _exotic dancers_. Independent contractors working for cash. I stay out of their hair, they stay out of what little I have left." He subconsciously stroked his hair or rather what was left of it.

"Three of your customers murdered their wives. You don't think that that's weird?" Sam piped up next.

"Yeah. I think that's super-friggin' weird. But you know what it ain't? My problem."

Rosalie growled as he stalked off without looking back. "Bastard," she hissed lowly.

"You're tellin me."

"C'mon, let's go. We've still gotta work out what this thing is before it strikes again."

"I have a theory-" Sam started.

"And what's that?"

"A Siren," he replied simply.

"A Siren? Like Greek myth siren, the Odessy?...Hey, I read!"

"It makes sense. But the siren's not actually a myth, it's more of a beautiful creature that preys on men, enticing them with their siren song."

"Let me guess, 'Welcome to the Jungle?' No, no. Warrant's 'Cherry Pie.'"

"Their song is more of a metaphor, like their call, their allure, you know?"

"So they shake their thing and the guys zombie out?"

"Basically, yeah. Sirens lived on islands, sailors would chase 'em, completely ignoring the rocky shores and dash themselves to pieces."

"Sounds like Adam and his buddies."

"Yeah. If you were a siren in '09 looking to ruin a bunch of morons, where would you set up shop?" Rosalie wondered aloud.

Dean stopped in his tracks and paled. "So whatever floats the guy's boat, that's what they look like?"

"Yeah. You see, sirens can read minds. They see what you want most and then they can kinda, like, cloak themselves. You know, like an illusion."

"So it could all be the same chick? Morphing into, uh, to different dream girls?"

"Yes, that's exactly what he's saying, Dean."

"Sirens are usually pretty solitary."

"How do we kill it? How the hell are we gunna find it? It could be anybody!"

"We'll get Bobby to help us. We'll find out who it is faster but even then it still might take some time."

"Alright. Looks like we don't have a choice either way. Let's do this."

* * *

As it happens, the Siren the group were searching for was currently stealing the form of another girl. She was sat across from her next victim. She twisted her lips expertly into a soft fake smile and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Hey, Belle." Lenny greeted softly.

The Siren took his hand in hers and led him out of the bar. "I thought you'd never come."

He took her back to his place without another thought. He opened one of the doors where an older woman lay in bed sleeping and closed it quietly. "It's OK, she's asleep," he whispered to her.

She blinked at him innocently and placed a hand on his upper chest coyly. "Lenny, you're amazing. Taking care of her like this? Most guys would have put her in a nursing home."

Lenny shrugged her praise off shyly. Secretly, he was happy she was there with him giving him her full attention. He loved his mother but looking after took its toll on him sometimes. "It's no big deal. She's my mom."

"Like I said. Amazing, baby." She pulled him in for a kiss which didn't last long and pulled back to look him in the eye. "Baby. I love you so much. The way you take care of me and your mom. You're so sweet and strong. I just wish you didn't have to carry it all. I mean, your mom takes up all your time. As long as she's around we can't really be happy." She played with the collar of his shirt and smiled at him hopefully.

"She's not so bad," he defended.

She sighed and pouted at him. "I _could_ be with you, forever. If only your mom wasn't here. Don't you wanna be with me forever?"

Lenny licked his lips a little nervously, not really concentrating on her words and what she was saying in favor of her and her beauty. "Yeah. Yeah, you know I do."

"Then bash your mother's brains in. Baby, do it for me. Do it, baby" She goaded gleefully. Once under her spell, her victims never could resist her. The pain and suffering she left behind was the icing on the cake for her. He was just another victim, not the first but not the last.

"Yeah. OK. If you say so." In a trance-like state, he picked up a poker from the fireplace and made his way to where his mother lay asleep. He raised the poker high above his head just as she woke up to see her son above her and holding a weapon. She screamed loudly as he struck her again and again. Blood spattered the walls but he kept going.

"I love you," the Siren called out to him softly then smirked at the sounds of terrified, pained screams coming from the other room and the sounds of the metal striking skin. She stuck around long enough to make sure her victim finished the job then left, leaving him to deal with the fallout of his actions.

* * *

The next morning, Dean, Sam and Rosalie discovered there'd been another incident. "Hey, Sam, Rose, you there? Lenny Bristol was definitely another siren vic." Dean reported.

"You get in to see him?"

"Brought home a stripper named Belle. Couple hours later, he offed his mother. Belle, of course, went MIA afterwards-"

"Wait, he killed his _mom?"_

"The woman he was closest to."

"Huh. Okay, well we definitely know the Siren's gotta be the stripper as it's the easiest way to meet the victims, trick them then leave. The Siren can turn i9nto a different stripper each time, so..."

"Yeah, you, uh, forgot your cell phone." Rosalie frowned at the stiffness in Dean's tone of voice when he spoke to Sam. Did she miss something? She thought things had been patched up and they'd moved on, was she wrong about that or did something else happen?

Sam pulled out his phone. "Hey, Bobby."

 _"Sam."_ Bobby's gruff tone answered. _"Did you find her yet?"_

"Uh, no. And, uh, it doesn't seem she's slowing down. What about you? Got anything?"

 _"Uh, Some lore from a dusty Greek poem. Shockingly, it's vague."_

"Oh, ok. I'm gonna put you on speaker."

 _"It says you need a bronze dagger covered in the blood of a sailor under the spell of the song."_ Bobby recited.

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean demanded.

 _"You got me. Best guess? Well, the siren's spell ain't got nothing to do with any song. It's most likely some kind of toxin or venom."_

"Something in the vics' blood." Rosalie breathed.

 _"Makes them go all Manchurian Candidate."_

"Uh, she infects the men during sex? Maybe. Supernatural STD." Sam grimaced.

 _"Well, however it happens once it's done, the siren's gotta watch her back."_ Bobby warned.

"Otherwise she gets a dose of her own medicine."

 _"It kills her."_

"Like a snake getting iced by its own venom."

"So we gotta juice one of the OJ?"

 _"Not that easy. None of those guys are under the spell anymore. Haven't got a clue where you're gonna get the blood you need."_

"I think I might have an idea."

 _"Be careful. These things are tricky bitches. Wrap you up in knots before you know what hit you."_

"Okay, we'll call ya later. We got a Siren to kill." Sam hung up grimly.

* * *

Hours later, the case was closed and the Siren was finally dead but not before the damage was done. As it turned out, the Siren transformed into Agent Munroe, another seemingly trying to solve the case. He'd managed to trick Dean into falling under his spell when he drank one of the beers Munroe offered him and used him to wait for Sam to then pit the siblings against each other. Rosalie had gone to meet Bobby so hadn't been there to witness it. The two worked together to kill the bastard after seeing Sam and Dean fighting viciously with each other. Words were exchanged and punches were thrown and trust was lost. Although he said everything was okay, it most definitely wasn't. Sam's words haunted him and Dean found himself unable to look at his brother much less trust him. He knew deep down Sam meant what he said and it hurt him deeply. Sam denied meaning it of course but he knew better.

 _You wanna know why I didn't tell you we were hunting Lilith? Because you're too weak to go after her...I'm a better hunter than you. I can exorcise Demons you're too scared to go near...you're holding me back..._

He clenched his hands and shook with anger. Who was he to judge Dean like that? He'd raised him since he was a damn child, saved his ass countless times and even sacrificed himself to Hell to bring him back and this is how he repays him?! By backstabbing him?! For what, some pathetic Demon bitch? As much as he tried to look past everything, he just couldn't. His brother was slipping away from them and there was nothing he could do about it. He preferred to listen to Run=by over them, preferred to trust her over them. He got that she'd been there for him at his lowest and he was somewhat grateful for it but that should have been it. He was back and that should have been the end of things and their...relationship. She should have left him alone and moved on and he would have 'forgotten' about her. But no, she just had to stick around. She was the reason he was slowly turning against them. She was corrupting his mind and poisoning him. Whatever she was doing with him had to stop and soon. He was changing and quickly and he hated it.

Rosalie's words before they went to the cabin also haunted him but on a more deeper level. His sister hated Ruby even more so than him and that was saying something. She hadn't ever bothered to hide her contempt towards the Demon not that he could blame her. He just wished Sam would listen to their pleas before it was too late. He felt helpless to free him from her clutches and constantly worried about what her plans for him could be. No Demon willingly help anyone else, especially a hunter unless it benefitted them in some way, unless they gained something from it. But what could Ruby gain from using Sam the way she was? He didn't understand, nothing made sense these days. He was losing his brother and it was happening right in front of their noses! Why couldn't he see her 'helping' him was helping herself? After they'd completed the case and 'made up', they headed back to Bobby's for a few days to recover from the recent events plaguing their minds. Rosalie went to her room, Bobby did whatever Bobby usually did, Sam went off to bed and Dean...well, he stayed up to think.

Ruby was not to be trusted and that would never change. If he wanted Sam out of the hold she had on him, he needed a plan. Obviously killing her wasn't going to work. She never showed up unless Sam was there and with him in the way killing her would be difficult. Sam would step in and stop him. He had a feeling warning her away wasn't going to do anything either. He would still call or text her to meet up and whatever her endgame was, it was important enough to risk being near two hunters that constantly wanted her dead so telling her to back off wouldn't work either. No, he needed a plan that was foolproof. He was going to get their brother back even if it killed him and nothing was going to stop him - not even some Demon bitch.

* * *

 **I never really liked this ep but thought it was important. We can see here this is where Sam and Dean's relationship really takes a nosedive. Ruby's done a good job of twisting him. I always hated Ruby in S4 and never could understand why Sam couldn't see the obvious. Did he actively choose to ignore it in favor of choosing to believe (stupidly) that people could change so why couldn't she? How could someone ruin their relationship with their sibling over an outsider (boyfriend/friend/girlfriend) I'll never know. I had problems with his self-righteousness, arrogance (he thought himself better and above Dean at times) and selfishness. I didn't like what he said to Dean, didn't like how it seemed so easy to choose in his eyes but equally, I didn't like how Dean reacted to it all (punch first, talk it out later). It was the wrong way to go about it.**


End file.
